Testament: Book One, The Spark
by Naverra
Summary: Fire is born of three things: Oxygen, Fuel, and a Spark. Though Katniss and Peeta were never reaped, there can be more than one spark. Family is taken, feelings are discovered, and there's nothing left to do but sit and wait, and pray someone might come home. The Boy with the Bread will always bring hope. AU/Full Story Narrative/Everlark.
1. Sunrise

**I do not own The Hunger Games or anything else from that franchise. Suzanne Collins is a GODESS. **

**At first, this story might be a bit fluffy (the whole growing together of Everlark is essential to plot later. Ooooh spoilers!) with the only dark parts being the Hunger Games itself. But fear not, it gets much darker later and later and then boom waddaya know, it's all serious and stuff. Also Katniss is a little ooc in places in that she realises she likes Peeta a little too quick for my liking, but it was the only way I could make the plot work and meh, I'm afraid we'll all just have to deal with it. I've done this by changing her view on her parents – or rather I develop it to change. Now because I'm a pretentious so and so and I think it looks cool, I'm going to be all uniform with my chapter starts. Don't hate me :3 I hope you all enjoy the story! This is my only AN, all going to plan! So please review and tell me what you think of the story :)**

* * *

_These are the faces of children I embraced and kissed and loved. I cannot imagine that they are dead, that none would survive... A million and a half children among the six million... But this I knew... I wanted to save their faces, not their ashes._

_**Roman Vishniac, Testament to a Lost People**_

* * *

**The Trilogy: Testament  
Part one; A Spark.  
****Chapter one; Sunrise**

* * *

As the sun was rising, he was already kneading the dough for today's product. They often did well with fresh loafs and larger products this time of year – today was a celebration for all but two of District Two's families, and people usually were a little freer with their money, a little more grateful and some a little in shock over the realisation that yet another two children were gone. A nervous spasm jittered his fingers in the pale, floury dough for a moment, before he continued to pound into it with every ounce of frustration he could muster. It was his first reaping alone, his older brother had turned nineteen a few weeks before. A light sweat swept across his brow, but it wasn't from the dough.

Peeta Mellark was sixteen, and he was about as safe as any sixteen year old boy could be from the reaping. The Hunger Games. His greatest, most spine chilling fear, was watching someone he loved trapped in that eternal nightmare, forced to kill or be kill, forced to throw themselves away with abandon for the slightest hint of a choice to survive, only to die a gruesome, drawn out death for the entertainment of the world watching them. His direct family were all out of the reaping age. But he had friends still possible to be reaped; he had the girl he loved, Katniss. There was always the stab of sheer guilt and remorse over a small child being taken. There were the Seam families who had nothing but their determination to live, but still even that was taken away from them. He wondered what it would be like, for a moment, to be so desperately helpless like that. Like she had once been.

After a good while, he deemed the dough ready and soft, and began to ball it into small ovals on a tray to rise by the heat radiating cooker covered in a piece of specially cut cloth. It was early summer, but unusually warm, so it filled the room with a humid haze that helped baking, but not the baker. Peeta felt a little stifled, but refrained from opening the kitchen windows for sake of produce and his mother's likely frustrated reaction. He was well accustomed to it, but he wished to forgo it that particular day. Wiping his hands on his apron, he let out a heavy breath between his teeth, letting out a low, agitated hiss. As he turned to leave, the door cracked open a little, his father peering in. The two greatly resembled the other, with fair skin, blonde hair, and light blue eyes. They both had a broadness to their shoulders, a thickness to their arms from lugging large sacks of flour around the bakery the family owned, and Peeta was sure within the next five years he would match the man's superb height, not being all that short himself. There was softness to his father's features, a generosity evident from the crinkle of his eye and the swerve of his thin, chapped lips. An accommodating, paternal experience and warmth. Peeta's features were also soft, a naivety from youth and a self deprecating kindness from his mother's harsh words, eager to please, eager to be liked, eager to help. Never a burden or an issue.

"Thanks Peet," his father clapped him on the shoulder, "you really didn't need to; I gave you the morning off. Didn't Filone tell you?"

"Yeah, he did." Peeta replied with a shrug. "Johnny was worn out, and I couldn't sleep, so I offered to take his place. Filone is doing the accounts now. You know, he's _obsessed_ with them." Filone was the eldest of the brothers, named after a loaf similar to a baguette, and nearest to their mother's heart. He was quiet, and good with academics and maths. He stood to inherit the bakery should he want it, but he was engaged to the only daughter of the town accountant, for those with enough money to plan their finances, and would be taking on that role. So Johnny, named for the johnnycake bread that went way back to America's history, what the country of Panem was before the some calamity happened and cut the landmass and population, was in good stead to take over the bakery, and he was very pleased about this. He was a little louder, a little burlier. Peeta wondered if he was strong enough to take on the Careers in the Games, because he certainly looked like one, with his icy blonde hair and hulking figure, who lifted flour not for necessity but for exercise. Johnny was the kind to relish in female attention, show off his prowess with his wrestling and strength, and had an air of arrogance matched by few. But they were neither at all harsh people. They took the best of their parents. Their mother's wit, brains and confidence. Their father's morals, generosity and humour.

"You're too nice to them you know." His father gave a lopsided grin. "You've got to start sticking up for yourself."

"It was no trouble." The youngest child shrugged again before sidestepping his father. "I'm gonna clean up a bit and check on Johnny." The baker sighed as his son left, handing him an apron as he passed, and let him go. Peeta headed for the second floor of the small, albeit well off house compared to most in his district, and found his way to the room he shared with his two brothers. The room was sparse, a single dresser with a number of different sized clothes stashed away, on top of which were some combs and soaps. There were three single beds, one at the bottom of the room under the window, parallel to the door, where Peeta slept. The other two hugged the adjoined walls, all the same wooden, creaky creations covered in plain grey blankets that itched. Two were empty, neatly made, sheets pulled tightly, and the one to the left wall occupied by a great hulking mass that was Peeta's older brother Johnny, snoring softly. Peeta rolled his eyes, deciding it was best to just leave him, and changed his shirt which had a little flour across the front. When dealing with customers it was best to look presentable, as much as possible in a job working with flour, and when the place opened in an hour he would be dealing with sales with Filone while Johnny and his father kept up with bakery orders in the back. Around one they'd close up for the occasion, Peeta would scrub up, and they'd leave for the town square.

* * *

On the other side of the small district, a girl had risen at the same time as Peeta, impressively early. Two hours before dawn she was jolted awake by screams and weeping, and had instinctively leapt to defuse it, any sign of weariness gone in her moment of alarm. Katniss wrapped her arms around her younger sister Prim, rocking her slowly. The two looked nothing alike. Prim, with her fair skin and thin blonde hair, still had the bushiness to her eyebrows and roundness to her face that came with a child, a delicacy to her bright blue eyes that only came from a life of quiet fear and loss. Katniss, however, had inherited her father's olive toned skin, his hard grey eyes that screamed determination, independence and her refusal to bow to the odds. Her hands were calloused, but held Prim tenderly as she sobbed quietly, mumbling into her sister's shoulder.

"It was me." It was almost inaudible as she muffled her voice completely into the cloths of Katniss' threadbare nightgown. "They took me."

"They won't take you Prim," Katniss hummed onto the top of the little blonde head, kissing it softly. "Your name is only in there once Prim, they won't take you Prim." The twelve year old was up for her first year in the reapings. Desperately, she asked Katniss to promise. "I promise, little duck. Now go get into bed with Mom. I need to go."

"So early?" Blue eyes stared into grey, each a little bloodshot, only one pair teary.

"I gotta make sure the Hawthorn's have plenty in stock," Katniss muttered. "Gale could go." So could she. So she waited for Prim to settle into the arms of her mother, the two spitting images of the other. Katniss looked at her mother for a moment, watching as Prim settled so easily into her arms. She couldn't forgive the way her mother abandoned them, the way she died along with her father down in that mine, unreachable, untouchable for so long. But she at least appreciated that she knew how to survive alone, she didn't _need_ anyone. All she needed was her woods, her bow, and Prim to keep her sane. That was her survival.

Silently, she shed her yellowing nightwear, and threw on plain, comfortable clothes for moving about the woods in. She braided her hair as she headed for the door, where her cap, shoes and father's leather jacket lay ready for her. She tucked her braid up into the cap, keeping her hair from her face, and slipped on the well worn shoes. They moulded to her feet perfectly, the sole well broken into. It made running much easier. Finally pulling on her father's beloved old brown leather jacket, she paused for a moment, relishing this connection with the man who meant so much to her. As she turned to leave, a hiss came from behind her, demanding she feed it. Katniss scowled, giving the molting yellow cat a glare. Buttercup had always been an annoyance to her. Prim loved the little scratty thing.

Jogging along the well worn paths of District 12 took her mind off the reaping for a while, as she stared resolutely ahead and forced herself to breathe evenly. It was what she did every time she made her trip to the woods, and brought some normalcy to the stressful day. Eventually she reached a tall, overbearing wire fence that was supposedly humming with electricity twenty four hours a day, but due to constant electricity shortages in 12, it was only switched on when the Head Peacekeeper was feeling grouchy. Still, Katniss took time to pause and listen for the hum that was the telltale sign of a bad hunting day. She heard none. Wriggling underneath, she smiled to herself in a calm sort of way – the woods were but a breath away. Away from the fence which was supposedly for their protection (more like a cage, she thought bitterly), into her haven. The tree trunks were wide and firm, and the foliage was thick, the flowers bloomed fully from the ending of spring and beginning of summer. The sun was just starting to rise. She dipped into a hollow in a large oak tree, retrieving the perfectly made bow her father had once used. He made it himself, and could have made a real business out of it if it weren't for the peacekeepers. He would have been imprisoned, or had his tongue cut out. Arming a rebellion, they'd call it. After grabbing her arrows from a second tree and cocking one, ready for any signs of prey, she began to stalk through the woods, her footsteps completely silent as she keenly watched for any signs of prey. There was an eerie quiet, but she noticed light imprints on the ground, suggesting Gale was close by.

Within minutes, she was shadowing a small family of rabbits, thinking it would be wiser to guide them into Gale's snaring compact than to possibly lose arrows over them. Scooping a small pile of twigs from the base of an oak tree, she positioned herself to the south of the rabbits, knowing that the compact was further north, and snapped a single twig. Predictably, the family scurried away from her. She repeated this, stalking them as they grew closer and closer to the familiar knotting of willowy branches, and with one final twig break, she heard the sequential cracking of multiple rabbit necks.

"Nice job, Catnip." Gale called from behind, and Katniss couldn't help the small proud smile that crossed her face. "That should bring in a far amount of trade. Allow me to return the favour." As she turned to him, she was again struck by his height and gravity – he had always been an adult to her, ever since they met back when she was twelve, and he fourteen, brought together by the loss of their fathers in the same mining accident, and the mutual need to survive. Katniss had her sister and mother to support, but Gale had a mother and four younger siblings, one of whom a mere new born at the time. He strode forward, holding something behind his back, a small satchel behind him that was filled to the brim with berries and edible plants. "Split all the goods 50/50?"

"After we trade." Katniss gave him a careful glance, and he scoffed.

"What do you take me for, a novice?" The satchel snapped shut, as Katniss began to untie the snares and collect the rabbits, placing them neatly in her game bag. There was a rustle, somewhere a little east from them, and Katniss instinctively knocked an arrow, Gale slipping a small knife from his belt. Creeping forward, they peered through the bushes. A wild dog was sniffing out their rabbits, smelling the fresh meat. Without even sharing a glance, Katniss' arrow struck the dog's neck, and Gale's knife lodged between the unsuspecting mutt's eyes.

"Greasy Sae will be pleased." Katniss grinned, and Gale laughed a little. Knowing better than to lug the large animal through the district, inviting disapproving stares and less chance of Sae buying the dog if people knew exactly what kind of meat it was, Gale set to work hacking away at the dog, skinning and butchering it into smaller sections, adding some pieces to the game bag, less edible pieces to a discarded pile and some to the side onto a sheet of plastic he had brought. They would need to fill up for staying power, and the haul seemed good today. While Gale set to building the fire, and a spit to cook the meat which he could watch while resetting his traps – he had a certain balance he needed to strike. Gale was very particular about his snares, and Katniss knew better than to interfere. Meanwhile, she scanned the trees, searching out squirrels. Katniss was very particular about getting a few squirrels each day to trade to the butcher, and Gale knew better than to interfere.

After picking off a good half dozen and putting them in a second bag (she usually brought two in case of overflow like today; she wasn't one for wasting good game), she settled down next to Gale, who had begun picking at the leg of dog that he'd spit roasted.

"Ahh great!" Katniss tore off a chunk and dropped it between her lips, chewing it carefully. Wild dog was sometimes hard to chew down, but a filling meal and neither of them were ever going to complain for a good hot meal. "It always tastes better when it's literally fresh."

"The way we should live." He said, with a sudden depth to his voice. "We could do it you know. Live in the woods?"

"We wouldn't get five miles." Katniss nearly spluttered laughing. It wasn't the first time they'd had that conversation. One of them would get a picture in their heads, of living up a tree and picking off squirrels, and the other would bring them back down to reality of the peace keepers, of the capitol, and of "the kids" she reminded him. "Imagine Prim and Posy in the woods."

"I suppose." Gale had a little smile to himself, watching as Katniss sucked a little meat juice from her thumb, popping it past her upper lip with a loud pop. "How about when they're older? And they can support themselves? Just... just you and me."

"... What?" Katniss gave him an estranged look. "You can't be serious."

"I'm serious." Gale nodded gravely. "You and me. We find somewhere a little more stable, or make a little house up a tree. I heard at school they used to build them for kids to play in. And we live out our lives in the woods. All we'd need is a water source and we can just live how we are right now. Us."

"This is silly." Katniss stood up, slinging her bags over her shoulder, shaking the idea of the hut by the lake. _'We couldn't, not ever..'_ "We shouldn't be talking like this. Come on, eat up. We've got a lot of stops for the hob today."

"Right." They finished their lunch in an awkward silence. Katniss' mind went into overdrive. _'What on earth is he thinking? There's never been anything romantic between Gale and I. I've always told him that I never want that. He knows, surely.'_

"You look tired Catnip." Gale mentioned suddenly, breaking her thoughts, giving her a concerned glance. She groaned.

"It was a tough night for Prim." Katniss sighed into her hands, holding a willowy branch down while he wrapped vines around it carefully. "Let's not head back just yet. I want to get some strawberries for Madge."

"Gotcha." Gale paused, watching her a little closer. "... How many slips?"

"Twenty. You?"

"Forty two." Silence echoed for a moment, disturbed only by the low cry of a Mockingjay. "...Let's make a pact. If we end up in there together" he turned to face her with a grim smile "not that we will."

"Alright" Katniss nodded, the scenario scaring her a little, but not enough to deter his train of thought.

"I'll tell Rory where to find the bows, he'd be better than Prim. You tell Prim to go with him and gather herbs and food. They'll work together and keep the families going." He dictated, and she blinked, hesitant.

"What about us, together in the games?" Katniss asked quietly, and he pursed his lips. "Well... well we'll be in an alliance." She prompted him. "We'll fight together. They wouldn't be able to beat us together. And..."

"And one of the careers will likely pick at least one of us off." Gale mutters with a dark voice. "Some sponsor will send one of them a cross bow or something and it'll get lodged in a spleen of ours or something."

"But we might make it." Katniss looked up at him, a pride in her eyes. "We're smart."

"We are." He replied softly. "What difference is it? Hunting animals... humans... a shot through the eye is a shot through the eye."

"And if we're the last two?" She stared resolutely at his snare. The design was finished; the perfect trap. Designed to kill, and keep the prize away from other predators. Gale had pride in his kill.

"The odds of that... of all this..." Gale glanced at her, before clearing his throat. "I guess we let them decide. Let them loose the gamemakers on us, let us see who lasts out."

"I would lose." Katniss cracked her neck, before standing. "I know I would. You're bigger, stronger, faster... If it came down to that you'd win. I'd rather you killed me quickly than get torn apart by some unnatural creation. Please remember that."

"I will." He whispered in a monotonous reply. "But I'd rather you killed me."

* * *

As Gale and Katniss left the woods a few hours later, to trade their goods in the Hob, the black market of District 12, the Mellark's bakery opened for business. Peeta would talk to the customers, charming them with his friendly smile and polite manner. Johnny would collect orders, and tell Mr Mellark if they were running low on a particular product to be collected from the ovens. Filone dealt with the rusty old till, making sure each and every penny was counted and recorded in the accounts book. The heavy customer flow meant time slipped by, and the constant work meant Peeta didn't think about the reaping that afternoon. He ignored the despairing flash in the customer's eyes and instead went about recommending different breads, the inexpensive to the few Seam customers, and the finer breads to the merchants who took up most of their time. Eventually, as the clock ticked closer to noon, the customers ran thin, people most likely cherishing what could potentially be their last few hours with their children, and preparing them in their best clothing, so that on the off chance that they go to the Capitol, they look the best that anyone with the resources District 12 offered can look. The bakery was always Katniss and Gale's first Merchant stop before the hob, as it was just the logical route between the meadow and the market place. Gale peered into the window, checking that Mrs Mellark wasn't working the tills that morning, and Filone waved them in, a quiet smile quirking his lips. All of the Mellark sons were fans of the fresh squirrel they brought in, and they relished the hour every evening that Mrs Mellark would go for a long walk she claimed was for her health, but they knew she was going around to her sister's, their Aunt Clarin, to gossip about the goings on of the district, and mutter angrily about their brother, whom they'd disowned many, many years ago. Katniss reached the door before Gale, and pushed it open, a tired hiss through her lips. Peeta glanced at her, before scuttling into the kitchens, not wanting to be seen.

"Squirrels anyone?" Johnny grinned whilst slapping Filone on the back; Filone flinched, and then shrugged him away with a roll of his eyes.

"Good morning Gale, Katniss." The elder of the three brothers greeted. "How can we help?"

"Eight squirrels," Katniss offered, no greeting nor small talk to distract her from her goal. Business was business.

"Ah, lovely. We can give you either four of our smaller full grain loaves, or..." Filone was cut off by Peeta, who stormed through with two of the fruit and nut loaves that he had been kneeding this morning.

"Or two of these." Peeta interrupted, giving Katniss a smile he hoped would be reciprocated. Her eyebrows flew up, and she remembered an evening that she often revisited when they came to this bakery. With a gulp, she nodded, looking at the ground somewhat adamantly. As though realising what he had said, how almost forward he had been, Peeta also looked away.

"Two of those works for me." Gale shrugged, oblivious to the exchange, whilst Johnny nudged Peeta with a sly grin, knowing it would go unseen by either customer.

"Y-Yeah, that's fine." Katniss continued, shaking her head and looking up, her eyes furrowed in frustration. Peeta wrapped them silently in brown paper, tying a three ply string around it and fastening it neatly. He then handed the package to Gale, while Katniss silently sorted through her game bag, handing the squirrels to Filone whenever she found one. Johnny surveyed the silent sixteen year olds with a quiet snort, and then cracked the knuckles in his fingers, leaving to carry on work in the kitchen with their father.

"See you around." Gale said with a nod as the trade was finished. Filone nodded back. As the hunters made their way to leave, Peeta pursed his lips.

"Good luck today Katniss." He said softly as Gale had walked out, and Katniss turned back to face him with a frown. It softened a little, and she nodded.

"You too, Mellark." She mumbled, and shuffled away.

* * *

Once all the trade was done, Katniss and Gale split the day's spoils between them and headed home. Madge had been happy for the strawberries, and had given some coins, plus some ribbons as an extra for Prim's first reaping. Greasy Sae took all the wild dog off their hands, plus a few rabbits, and Rooba took some of the remaining meat. They gave half the greens to the grocer for more coins, and then spent a little money on some rubbing alcohol for Katniss' mother, as the closest thing to a doctor in the district, and some extra soaps for Gale's mother, as she made some extra money by doing laundry for some of the richer merchant families. As they left each other, Gale nodded his farewell with a simple shrug and telling her to "wear something pretty" in a flat and defeated tone. Katniss returned home around one in the afternoon, to see her mother braiding Prim's hair into two blonde ropes, framing her face prettily. She was wearing exactly what Katniss wore to her first reaping, a greying blouse with a navy skirt, but the shirt kept falling out at the back.

"Tuck in that tail, little duck!" Katniss chided, surprising the girl by appearing behind her suddenly as her mother moved away for more bobby pins, and Prim giggled a little, letting her tuck the puff of material into the skirt. "You look beautiful" she cooed.

"I laid something out for you too" her mother said softly, and Katniss looked at her, nodding quickly, not daring to say anything and trying desperately hard to forgive her at least for today, and let her help her.

"Thanks" she eventually replied. Her mother had just filled the tub in the back room with as much lukewarm water as she could manage, so Katniss set about her bath, scrubbing the dirt from the bottom of her feet and the back of her neck, rinsing the mud from her woods away. She rinsed her hair and scrubbed her face, and finally resembled something clean. After towel drying her hair, Katniss returned to their communal bedroom and found a pretty blue dress from her mother's past, her merchant status living on through little things she'd kept. She fingered it gently, silently acknowledging this was one of her most precious belongings, before dressing quickly, tying the ribbon around the middle into a sloppy bow at the back and putting on her best grey buckle shoes.

"Can I braid your hair?" Katniss turned at the sound of her mother's voice, and hesitated before nodding her consent. Though her smile was strained, Mrs Everdeen's fingers never failed to form the prettiest braids, and soon Katniss' hair was intricately woven around the crown of her head. She could barely recognise herself. "Now you look beautiful too."

"You're so pretty.." Prim mumbled from the doorway, a little enviously, and Katniss beamed at her.

"Not as pretty as you little duck!" She smiled, scooping the younger girl into a warm embrace, and nodding her thanks at her mother. It wasn't long until they had to leave, so Katniss gestured to the bag she'd returned with. "There's rubbing alcohol, some rabbit and greens we can stew up when we get back and some money." She stared at her mother as she said this, and the nod given in response told Katniss her mother knew why she was saying all of this. Just in case she didn't have chance to say it later. "Oh, and I can't forget-" Katniss rushed to her bag, slipping her hands inside and grasping the velvety blue ribbon Madge had given her. Prim made a soft, longing sound, and Katniss grinned at her. "A gift for you, from Madge."

"It's so pretty!" The small girl cooed, and allowed her sister to tie it around her crown like a small headband, with a neat bow at the top.

"I told you you're the pretty one!" Katniss laughed, pinching the small girl's cheeks. "Now, let's get this over with."

* * *

The walk to the town square was silent. As much as Katniss had tried to keep high spirits for her sister, she couldn't help but frown and let the hand that wasn't holding Prim's tremble. Her mind went into a spin, probabilities and odds wiring around her mind. Who would it be? Who would die this year? She couldn't ignore Gale's tremendous stack of papers. Forty two. She doubted anyone else would have that many. But if he could just dodge it all this year, for this one year, then he'd be safe from the games. His family wouldn't be, but he himself would. And then Peeta... her boy with the bread... well, he would only have the accumulative years; a baker's family would hardly need the tesserae. He would have five slips. It seemed such an insignificant number next to Gale's... then of course, Prim, but it was her first year. No tesserae, Katniss was proud to know. One slip. The odds were most certainly in her favour. Swallowing deeply, she tried not to think of her own twenty names on those little white papers.

Prim's squeak brought her back to life, their mother long gone in the crowds, the peacekeepers taking samples of blood from potential tributes in plain sight. Like herders, tagging their cattle.

"Prim, they're just going to take a little bit of blood, just a little." Katniss cooed softly in her ear, and the girl whimpered softly. "It'll only hurt for a second, and then it'll be done, I promise."

"Promise?"

"I promise Prim. Nothing bad is going to happen to you."

After waiting in line along with the other twelve year olds, Prim flinched as they jabbed her finger with the electric needle, scanning that yes, it was indeed Primrose Everdeen. She was then whisked away with the rest of the checked children, to stand in an assembly line with her classmates, her friends. A quiet panic filled her eyes, and she stared around, trying desperately to find her sister. By then, Katniss too was stood with the other sixteen year old girls. Surrounded by faces and names she vaguely knew from school but mostly ignored for favour of isolation. The square swelled with people, slowly filling out every corner of the roped off area.

The square would be a nice place if it didn't have such negative connotations of the reaping. On busy market days when people bustled about from store to store, it had a communal village feel to it, the District at its finest. The Justice Building, where the stage for the reapings was stood, was a once grand, beautiful building that had withered with time and weather erosion. Now it was a shadow of glory, of what might have been. And today, what was normally the nicer part of the district was covered in clinical white screens, showcasing the stricken faces of the townsfolk, the desperate eyes of the parents, the military precision of the Peacekeepers and the bitter, forced smile of the Mayor, sat on one of three chairs upon the stage, alongside a microphone and two podiums, each with a glass bowl atop, filled to the brim with paper slips.

Soon, Effie Trinket, a painted pink vision of obscurity from the Capitol appeared, and Katniss wrinkled her nose. Did the Capitol really not see how grotesque and ridiculous they looked to the Districts? How unappealing and disgusting they truly were? Effie's skin was dyed the palest white, with powder over her skin to keep it looking airbrushed. A garish pink garnished her lips, with eyelashes long and thick to match. Her wig was as pale as her skin, but tinted just the slightest shade of magenta. And naturally, suit was angular and tight, with wire skirts and petticoats, and her heels were higher than the steps she was climbing to reach the stage. She took the second chair, looked around in confusion for a moment before making huffy, unheard comments to the Major. Major Undersea looked at her for a moment, a glimmer of hatred in his tired eyes, before nodding in a feigned sympathy.

A few minutes before they were scheduled to begin, the final chair was filled. Haymitch – the only victor the District had who was still alive. A drunk, middle aged, bitter man who spent his life in complete seclusion. He was mentor to the District 12 tributes, and widely perceived as the reason District 12 could never have a hope of winning. He was a typical seam looker, with sunken olive skin, unwashed dark hair and cold grey eyes. He looked like someone who had once been well bodied, with a taller than average stature, but his muscles and skin sagged, and his posture was hunched and broken.

Effie huffed at him for a moment as he staggered into his chair, a bottle in hand, before taking to the microphone with a well practice smile. "Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! District 12 potential tributes!" She smiled at us arrogantly, greeting District 12 to the town square of District 12. "Before we begin, I have a video to show, brought to you all the way from the Capitol!" Her voice pronounced every word a little strangely, a hiss on each S, her vowels a little warped in that effected Capitol accent that sent shivers down the spine of all who heard it. The screens turned black, before depicting the Dark Days, the rebellion from seventy four years ago, we would still be punished for it. It blurred lines of reality, smeared it with propaganda. How gracious we should be to the Capitol for this repression, the slaughter of children, the pitting of innocent against innocent. Trying to hold in her wild dog lunch, Katniss scanned the crowd for a friendly face. Gale caught her eye, nodding and rolling his eyes at her. She gave a breath of a smile. He was stood quite far forward for someone in the eighteens category. Probably to keep an eye on Rory, she thought to herself. It was Rory's first year too. Gale had lost his father in the same mine explosion as Katniss, but had a much larger family to feed. At least his mother was there. At least his mother wasn't despondent.

As the video was drawing to a close, Effie was mouthing the final words of the video to herself. "To safeguard our future."

"I just love that!" She gushed, a jitter of excitement in her voice. Katniss hissed through her teeth. "Now, ladies first, don't we agree?" Effie Trinket pottered over to the podium on the left, and Katniss felt every bit of oxygen leave her lungs. Clutching at the hems of her mother's blue dress, her vision blurred and she bit her lip.

"The female tribute for District Twelve..." Effie Trinket's effected accent immediately irritated and panicked the simple girl from the seam. _'Not us. Not Prim. Please...'_ "...is Orchid Naysmith!"

Katniss exhaled shakily, immediately relieved, and then painfully guilty. She skimmed through her mind quickly. Orchid. Did she know someone called Orchid? It sounded such a delicate, precious name, almost a District 1 sounding name, which would probably be in her favour in the games. She didn't recognise it, so she presumed it must be a merchant girl. The ache in her chest lessened, though she disliked herself for it, because that meant it wasn't one of the kids from the seam whom she felt a neighbourly kinship towards. To her confusion, the girl who took to the stage looking shaken and tearful had thick, untamed dark hair, and grey, empty eyes. Her skin was too fair to be Seam though, and left Katniss with the dull impression she had a parent from the Seam, at least. Maybe a love child, taken in by the Merchant parent, or the rare proof that sometimes Seam families can marry higher than their birthrights. She was pretty, if a little too tall and a little too skinny. Katniss couldn't recognise her from her classes, so she must have been older than her. She looked it, with a delicate, fair face. The more Katniss looked at her, the prettier she got. She avoided Effie's probing questions with a choked silence, and the all too pink escort slowly took the hint.

"Time for the Gentlemen!" The capitol crow cooed, dipping her hand into the second glass bowl daintily. Katniss glanced over to Gale, meeting his eye, and scrunching her nose in means of reassurance. This is it. His last year. If he could just avoid this year, with those forty two slips... if the Seventy Fourth Hunger Games could go on without him, he would have done the impossible, supported a family so large with so little, and avoided the disgusting odds. He was her hunting partner, her best friend, the only person other than Prim who she knew and loved and trusted with all that she was. They favoured each other perfectly. They could be siblings, or cousins. She sent a silent prayer to a God she didn't think existed, because if he got through then she could go another year living and breathing as normal.

In her eye line was Peeta Mellark, the boy with the bread, and she quietly added his name to the prayer. Because she could never not owe someone. She remembered that day far too vividly, two months after her father had died. Sitting under a shelterless tree, mud and rain soaking through her withered, dank clothes. Hunger gnawing away the weakened muscle she had left. Shame dripping from her heavier than the rainwater. She couldn't feed her sister. She couldn't face Prim's hopeful, hungry eyes when she got back. She couldn't face feeling as helpless as her mother. But then Peeta, the boy she knew only from sharing lessons, and occasionally noticing him looking vaguely in her direction, and behind the bakery counter when Prim would press her little fingers against the smeared windows and gape at the little frosted cookies they could never possibly afford. He peered at her through a window – she hadn't even registered she was near the bakery until she saw him. Then, minutes later, she heard a loud crash, some muffled, frenzied yelling and a dull thud that sounded disgustingly like something blunt and heavy meeting flesh, and then Peeta appeared with someone Katniss presumed to be his mother yelling to 'throw it to the pigs' because 'only Seam trash would be interested in burnt loaves'. And he tore bits of the bread, almost absentmindedly, until she was gone, and then catching her eye, threw the loaves, the thick, fluffy loaves filled with raisins and nuts and wholesome, hearty stuff, right at her. The same kind of loafs he had traded her today. They were fine really, just a little charred on the outside. Only little tiny bits were gone from his feeding the pigs, and they were from the burnt areas. Her heart soared, and her resolve hardened. He'd gone before she could do anything. She'd never said thank you. That bread had done more than feed her and her family, it had inspired her, reminded her of all the tricks and ways to find food in the woods, in the meadow. She thought briefly of the dandelion she'd laid her eyes upon the next day, and the salad of dandelion leaves that she and Prim had gorged on, and everything that Peeta had gifted her with. A spark of hope.

And so there were two names that Katniss was focused on as the polished hand of Effie Trinket swept around the glass bowl.

"Talon Redpath!" And once again, Katniss relaxed, and then froze up as a Seam neighbour she knew – he had brought his little sister to her mother for medical attention once – took his place. He was eighteen, quite short, but broad shouldered and fairly strong. Katniss reassured herself, he was a resourceful person. Maybe, maybe they had a chance that year. But her eyes fell on Haymitch Abermathy, the drunk mentor that the tributes from District 12 were subjected to every year, and her hope soon faded. As the crowds slowly dispersed, with a few noticeable families swarm towards the front, to say goodbye to their son or their daughter for the last time, tears and forced grimaces staining their faces. She saw Peeta among them.

Katniss found Prim, and then her mother in quick succession. They forced optimistic smiles, pointedly not mentioning how frail Orchid looked, or how Talon's little sister had wailed loudly from the thirteen year old section. They went home, enjoyed the meal Katniss had brought home, and retired to their beds early.


	2. Dandelions

**The Trilogy: Testament.  
Part one; A Spark.  
****Chapter two; Dandelions**

* * *

The sun hadn't quite risen when Katniss awoke that morning. She'd programmed herself to wake early a long time ago – a wasted morning meant less food on the table. She dressed quickly, pulling a slightly torn black t-shirt and comfortable green pants on haphazardly. Combing her hair with her fingers and braiding it back absentmindedly, she pulled the rope of hair up and under a cap, before pulling her father's old leather jacket over her spindly, long arms. Prim stirred just as Katniss was pulling on her worn old hunting shoes, and murmured out to her. Katniss turned to her and smiled, and bent down to kiss her forehead.

"Morning sleepy. Stay here, I'll be back the same time as usual" assured Katniss, and Prim smiled softly.

"No bad dreams tonight" Prim mumbled, and Katniss laughed softly.

"No reaping today" replied the huntress, and Prim's sweet smile almost wavered. Katniss slipped out soon after, spitting a near silent expletive at the butternut coloured cat who hissed at her as she grabbed her game bag from underneath him.

* * *

The first thing Gale did as he saw his hunting partner approach was open his arms for an embrace. This only ever happened the day following a reaping day. Their way of telling the other how grateful they are the other is still safe. A silent, desperate way of reminding the other how vital it was that they stayed as a unit. She fell into his arms and returned the hold instinctively. It smelled so familiar; his hold was so like home. The way his body moved and held her was always so comforting and despite the rareness of their embraces, it felt so familiar and comforting, almost like her father.

"Did you know them?" Katniss asked immediately.

"Both in my class." Gale replied automatically, expecting her question. "Both 18, their last year. She was the smartest girl in the class. All the boys wanted to date her. He was the athlete and best friend that won her over. They've been together about a year, so they got together around the last reaping. I think they were scared for each other. Turns out they were right to be."

"... oh." She breathed. There'd been couples in the games before, but somehow they struck her heartstrings a little harder than the others. Maybe because they were such an established relationship. Maybe just because Gale knew them. Or maybe it was the way the boy, Talon, had been so completely selflessly worried when he brought his little sister to her Mom. Her heart had gone out to him that day. "I'm never having kids."

"I might, Catnip." Gale replied softly, giving her a shielded look. "If I didn't live here."

"But you DO live here." Katniss snapped quickly, scowling deeply, and he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Forget it." He grunted. "I can't hunt today. I have to sign up at the Justice Building for my mining shifts, and there's a lot of paperwork to do."

"W-What?" Katniss' eyes grew wide. "But... you only graduated last week! When will you start?"

"Tomorrow." He grimaced. "But it's fine. I'll have one day off a week; Sundays, other than today. That'll be a Catnip and Hunting day, right?"

"Definitely." She nodded. "I'll keep hunting, keep fresh meat on our tables."

"I'll help you with coins should you ever need them." Gale replied, never one to take a favour and not return it. With a weak, rare smile, Katniss nodded. They separated for their tasks, and Katniss allowed herself a moment to hesitate, and take her anger out on the trees, which shooting each trunk around her, each tower of bark having a single arrow piercing it, dead in the centre of Katniss' narrowed gaze. Her partner was gone. There was no longer a unit. Only her.

* * *

As Katniss lugged that day's haul from the meadow, she grunted incoherently. She knew she wouldn't be able to carry the amount she felt she needed to hunt today alone – especially now she was carrying Gale's half too. Her two game bags were full to the brim, along with the satchel that Gale had previously used, and now allowed into her possession as his hunting time would now be strictly limited. Gladly, it was a Sunday, and she had the whole day to herself to stock up on providence for the following week, only hunting on weekdays when larders were running low. Rory could give her updates on the Hawthorn's food supplies at school, so she knew how much to gather. Stopping by at the small, somewhat dilapidated house that was her home, so like every other in the seam, she enlisted Prim's sleepy eyed assistance to help her with carrying the trade, who cheerily took Gale's satchel off her sister's hands.

"First, we go to the bakery." Katniss told her softly, running through the normal routine with the scrawny blonde girl, who nodded eagerly. "Because they're directly on the way to the hob, and if we see Mrs Mellark in the window we leave time to come back later."

"Is she the mean one?" Prim asked softly, a curious tone to her voice. "Why is she so mean?"

"I don't know Little Duck." Katniss replied with a quirk of her eyebrow. "I just know she did something downright horrid to someone once, and I can't forgive it." The sound of abuse and the bruise over Peeta's eye the next day, swollen and purple, scabbed from where the skin had split... it rung in Katniss' head dizzyingly. For an easy mistake, for burning bread, an eleven year old boy, her youngest son... Katniss shook her head free of the thought. "I'd tell you, but I don't want you to be unhappy."

"Maybe something made her sad." Prim whispered, grabbing Katniss' free hand. "Maybe she's just really really hurt by something."

"Maybe." Scrunching her nose, Katniss agreed purely to assuage Prim's thoughts. Prim was so sure, so deeply and unchangeably sure that everyone deserved to be loved, and she refused to be the person to tarnish her little sister's naive, childish purity. It should have died with her father, or with her first reaping, or even the first time she watched the Hunger Games, but it hadn't, so Katniss took it as her personal mission in life to keep it as long as possible. They reached the bakery, and for some reason it seemed deserted. They waited outside, peering through the window for a moment, both abruptly pressed against the window with little care for being caught. Peeta wandered in from the kitchen, noticing them with a start, and waved them in nervously.

"Good morning!" Prim chimed happily as she burst through the door, not a moment's hesitation. Katniss followed, stifling a smile at her sister's antics. "I don't think we've spoken before. I'm Prim, Katniss' sister!"

"Hello Prim.." Peeta gave her a warm, fond smile, as though he'd wanted to speak to this girl for a long time, and every word she said was deeply important. "I'm Peeta."

"Peeta!" Prim's eyes went wide. "You came second in our school wrestling competition!" She turned to Katniss, who was stone faced apart from a flicker of warmth in her eyes. "Isn't he in your class?"

"Yes, duckie." Katniss murmured, rubbing Prim's head between her two braids. "Now, tell Peeta how many squirrels are in your bag there."

"Oh!" Prim furrowed her brow in concentration, trying to remember how many Katniss had told her to say – she'd been focused on a bird at the time.

"First time on the rounds?" Peeta grinned, and Katniss wrinkled her nose.

"I'd tell her to count them but she's not good with dead bodies." She stated dryly, and Peeta faltered, a weak smile and nod in response. "Hey, sorry. Dead jokes aren't funny right now." Katniss frowned, and Peeta shrugged. "Okay, who'd you know?"

"Orchid." Peeta replied with a sigh. "Estranged family. I wish I'd gotten to know her." With a jolt, Katniss thought of how she assumed Orchid was a half breed of Seam and Merchant, and from Mrs Mellark's hatred of 'Seam scum', estranged family made a lot of sense.

"Twelve!" Prim suddenly beamed, having been oblivious to their conversation in her concentration on numbers. "There are twelve squirrels."

"That's great!" The baker masked his frustrated face quickly, smiling cheerily at the younger girl. "I can get you a lot of bread for that. That's a lot more than usual, actually."

"Well, it's Sunday, gotta stock up for the week." Katniss shrugged. She was inwardly berating herself. If she kept up this conversational tone he'd expect it every time she visited, but Prim always sparked a more sociable manner in her.

"Right, of course. With school and mandatory watching, not much hunting time." Peeta nodded sympathetically. He was inwardly congratulating himself. He'd never held a conversation with her before, and here they were, chatting like school friends would.

"Are you watching on Tuesday? With your family?" Prim asked curiously, and Peeta blinked.

"Well, my mother will watch with my Aunt. And over here it'll be a little morbid. She's... related to me. Orchid."

"Oh." Prim frowned. "Well Katniss was going to cave to what I want and take me to see it in the square..."

"I was not!" Katniss fumed, and Prim spared her a pitying glance.

"... So come watch it with us! It'll be fun!" The younger Everdeen bounced on her heels, smiling up at him persuasively, and Peeta laughed.

"I don't know if your sister's okay with that Prim, sounds like she wants to watch it at home." He grinned. "But if she changes her mind, I'll gladly watch with you."

"I wasn't just gonna **cave**..." Katniss grumbled to her sister, who giggled in response. "You make me out to be some push over."

"Kaaatttt, pleeease can we watch in the square!" Prim pleaded, clutching the hem of the hunting jacket Katniss inherited from their father. "I'll quack!"

"You don't need to quack... we're in a public place..."

"_**Quuuuuuuuuack!**_"

"Oh my goodness, fine, we'll watch in the square! If you're gonna cause me this much grief everywhere we go today you're not coming again!" Katniss glared at the offending sibling before caving to the infectious, pleased smile of Prim, and then finally took the satchel from her. "Sorry about all this." Returning to her stony demeanour, she glanced at a grinning, dazed looking Peeta.

"I never thought you had it in you, Katniss." He smiled fondly. "You're actually a big ol' softie."

"Oh bite me." She rolled her eyes. "Twelve squirrels."

"Three nut and raisin, or six wholegrain."

"Wholegrain. We have plenty nut and raisin from yesterday."

"Works for me."

He packaged them, and handed them to her. She handed him the satchel, dedicated to the squirrels. He took them, wrapped them in paper for keeping, and returned the satchel to her.

"You're far too business orientated, Katniss." Peeta said suddenly, as she was turning to usher Prim out. "This is the first time we've held a conversation and you've been trading here for years. Plus we've been in the same class since first year."

"I don't need to talk to put food on the table." Katniss scowled, and Peeta's smile grew.

"So, you'll meet us in the square?" Prim insisted, taking note of Peeta's wanting to talk to her again as a suspicion. "The Tribute Parade starts at six. Meet us at half five!"

"If that's okay with Katniss." He replied, with a winning grin, and Prim grasped the edges of Katniss' jacket again, preparing what they all knew to be an onslaught of pleas and quacks. "Without... quacking" Peeta's lip twitched, as though he was trying desperately hard not to laugh at her. "It's her decision."

"Well.." Katniss thought of the bread. How it was family he was losing, estranged, regret filled family. How she owed him so much. "I can never say no to Prim." She gave a half smile, a difficult feat. "You're on our way to the square too. We'll pick you up on the way."

"Sounds like an excellent plan, Katniss." He politely responded, fighting the urge to jump on the spot. "But I have to know," he beamed mischievously at her, "will it be business or pleasure?" For the first time in her life, Katniss clocked onto the fact someone was flirting with her, and colour rose from the tip of her nose to the ridges of her ears.

"I... Bite me, Mellark." Within a heartbreak, she'd scurried away, pulling a giggly, happy Prim with her, who was waving and telling him she's see him on Tuesday.

"I don't understand" Prim squeaked as she was dragged away "why, why don't you talk to him? He's really nice, and really handsome-"

"Less of that, Prim." Katniss growled, and sensing a topic even she wasn't allowed to broach, Prim quietened. Katniss _owed_ someone. She couldn't repay the years of life, the spring in her sister's step, free from fear of starving thanks to him and what he gave her. If she could get him through the games, tell him thank you while being some kind of emotional support – goodness knows how she'd do it – then maybe that would go away. If she explained it to him, if she returned some kind of favour, if anything. Maybe then she'd stop hating herself a little bit when she ate a dandelion. At least, she thought she was hating herself.

* * *

Monday was a somewhat sad, but relatively normal day for Katniss. She woke early as usual, braided her hair, dressed and ate some of the leftover rabbit stew from last night, with a little of the raisin and nut loaf to soak up the juices. Prim ate the same, an abnormal quiet between the two, before setting off to school. Ordinarily, Prim would skip merrily ahead, her school dress bouncing at her knees with a ribbon in her hair. Today, she looked just the same, but she was somewhat hesitant and silent and frankly, Katniss didn't like it.

"Something on your mind Ducky?" She asked while dipping for the smaller girl's hand. Prim gave her a weak smile.

"The Tribute Parade tomorrow" was the mumbled reply. "That could have been me. Or you."

"Aftermath of the first reaping" Katniss sighed, and rested her hand on top of Prim's head, tracing the two long braids that made up her hair, "don't think on it too much, Prim. It only gets you down. Just remember that it wasn't you. It wasn't me. It wasn't anyone we love or care about this year, and while we should respect and honour the people who will die, we should also remember that there's very little we can do about it. It's how life works these days."

"It's stupid." As Prim sulked, Katniss began to worry. If Prim started saying things in town, things that could be heard... It was just easier not to think them too loud. Quickly, Katniss grasped her sister's hand in her own.

"Don't say things like that away from home" she murmured to the blonde girl, and Prim's eyes widened, as if finally grasping the hold that the Capitol had on their lives. Nodding gravely, she griped Katniss' hand a little tighter. They continued their march to school, unspoken words promising to talk about this more later. The walk wasn't particularly arduous, but that was because they were very used to it. It was on the far end of town, perfectly placed for Merchant students to have a five minute walk there, but for the Seam kids it took a decent half to three quarters of an hour to get there, depending on how quickly they walked. "Gale's starting the mines today" the older girl spoke lightly, almost conversationally.

"Rory told me" Prim replied softly. "He's really worried about it."

"I can relate." Katniss hissed between clenched teeth, and Prim squeezed her hand in reply.

* * *

The school day slipped by as it normally did. During registration, Peeta offered her a smile and a hello, though it was tinged with a quiet nervousness, as though worried his flirtatious remark would have cost him dearly. Katniss nodded, not particularly in a smiley mood, and gave a quiet "good morning, Mellark". He grinned for the rest of the morning, and the brunette found it incredibly uncomfortable. Numeracy and literacy gave no real events – Katniss wasn't sure why they were being taught this when everyone in the class room would take over a family business and already know a trade, marry into a trade they would be taught by their partner, or work in the mines. But she focused on her fractions and grammar, and lunch rolled around before she had time to think too much on her grumpy mood.

As her lunch period began, so did Prim's and Rory's end. She managed to catch them as they were traipsing back to class to hug Prim quickly, and inform Rory he was to tell her if they were ever running low of anything, even if Gale told him not to tell her. She also offered to teach him how to get around a bow, and a couple of snares Gale had taught her over the course of their partnership, and he beamed, so eager to help his brother. They arranged to go into the woods on Wednesday after school, when stocks would start to dwindle. As the pair toddled off to class, Katniss watching them with a fond, soft eye she reserved for her sister and occasionally Gale's siblings, she let them leave her sight before looking for Madge to enjoy the thoughtful silence they enjoyed together. She was sat near the corner of the sizable – compared to most buildings in District 12 – empty hall where people ate, a small wooden table identical to multiple in the room, most of which were pushed together for more communal, groups of friends to share, just big enough for her and one other person to join her. Wordlessly, Katniss sat with her, and they shared a knowing glance and nod before setting out their lunches. Katniss brought meat and bread, finely sliced rabbit and the last of the nut and raisin loaf. Madge brought more refined foods, a small pot of strawberries, some white, perfectly sliced bread with butcher bought red meat and grocer bought greens in a small, cold stew. They spread the food out and allowed the other to pick at their own, a tradition started when Madge looked enviously at a fresh looking stock of strawberries Katniss had brought from her gathering the morning before – she had been up early anyway, and couldn't get back to sleep. Since then, on trips to the woods Katniss got strawberries for Madge whenever they were in season, and they shared their lunches between them as their silent representative of their friendship. Unspoken, mutually beneficial, and reliable. Businesslike. They ate languidly, speaking only when talking of a possible partners project in class which they would undoubtedly do together. What they hadn't been expecting, was Delly Cartwright to pop up from seemingly nowhere, bouncing about in front of their table. Madge raised an eyebrow, glancing at Katniss in a questioning manner, and Katniss frowned.

Delly Cartwright was Peeta's best friend. They were always together.

_Wait... how do I know that?_

"Katniss! Madge!" Delly chimed at them as though they'd been best friends forever. "Instead of sitting here all on your lonesome come sit with us! It'll be super fun, we never talk enough!"

With a wary glance, Katniss noticed they'd worked very hard to clear three spaces inconspicuously next to Peeta, one clearly Delly's seat. A variation of boys and girls from their class, undoubtedly the popular crowd of their class whose names she'd never bothered to learn, sat chatting rowdily and animatedly, eating their food in a hurry, so to have more time to blurt unimportant gossip to each other. Peeta was glancing their way occasionally, as though trying to gauge their reactions but not show he knew what Delly was doing.

_Well, try to._

"We're alright, thank you Delly" Madge replied softly, her mousy voice quivering. "Unless, Katniss, you'd rather..."

"No, no." Katniss found herself coming up in small goose bumps. "Madge and I prefer a... quieter setting. But thank you Delly, maybe another day."

"Oh." Delly's face fell, her corkscrew blonde girls seeming to sag as her rounded face fell into a pout. "But... but I want to be your friend!"

"That's lovely, Delly." Madge gave her the diplomatic, political smile she inherited from her father; being the Major's daughter was a very beneficial matter sometimes. "We're happy to be your friends, but we're in the middle of planning what we might do for the partner project on the history of District 12."

"You two always partner together, don't you?" With a frown, Delly turned to look at Peeta briefly, who gave her a confused tilt of the head with a slanted smile. "Oh! Didn't Mr Barden say we do it in groups of four?"

"He said we could partner if we want" Katniss cut in, not liking where this was going. She didn't really have time for bubbly popular girls insisting they became friends, no matter how sweet Delly was, and how she had not done anything but be friendly towards them.

"Oh but it'll be so much faster with four people! Plus it'd be a lot of fun!" Delly twirled around, gesturing for Peeta to come over, and with a moment of panicked, wide eyed fury, he quickly composed into his easy smile and stood, wandering over slowly. "We should do it together! I know Peeta doesn't have any partners yet because he's so unorganised with school."

"Thanks Del," Peeta grabbed her shoulders from behind, pushing her to the side. "Really talking me up."

"Well it's true!" Delly gave him an amused huff, before turning back to the two bemused, somewhat alarmed girls. "What do you say? Work with us on the history project!" Katniss noticed that Delly seemed to focus her plea to her rather than Madge, and glanced up to see Peeta doing a desperate job of masking his anxious face indifferent. She frowned to herself. It _would_ mean getting closer to him, maybe having a better chance of repaying him for those years ago, so she could rid herself of this damned apprehensive feeling she got around him and get away from owing him for anything. He clearly wanted to work with her. Maybe he wanted to be friends, like Delly had said. But why? Maybe to find out why she had never thanked him for the bread. Her stomach twisted. He probably thought her rude and insolent and had an inane curiosity as to why, or if he was right.

"_Will it be business, or pleasure?"_

"Madge?" Katniss turned to face the Major's daughter, who shrugged.

"I guess it'd make the project easier." She agreed, and Delly squealed happily, grabbing Peeta's arm as she jumped up and down in merriment. But Peeta's face hadn't changed, he still stared at her with a nervous anticipation.

Katniss looked up at him. "Sure..." he was about to open his mouth to reply cheerfully when she cut in. "But will it be business or pleasure?"

His face split into a grin. Delly seemed to have been informed about the weird injoke, and suddenly beamed wider than Katniss had ever seen, a flare of pink meeting the tip of her nose.

"A little of both maybe" he replied with a small laugh, a red colour flaming across his cheeks to the ends of his ears, shining brightly against his milk bottle skin and hair. "Come on Delly, let's let them finish their lunch in peace before you make them change their minds."

As they walked away, they listened to Delly tease Peeta about his blush and Madge gave Katniss another questioning glance. Avoiding her gaze furiously, Katniss popped a strawberry into her mouth.

"Long story."

She would become close friends with the boy with the bread. And she would pay off her debt.

* * *

As Katniss picked up Prim to head back home that day, Prim was in a much better mood, and Katniss found that she was too. So she lifted her little sister into the air playfully, spinning her as they laughed together, before allowing Prim to settle on her back with the smaller girl's arms around her neck and legs fastened around her waist. With a smile, Katniss began to set off back towards the Seam – she wouldn't carry Prim all the way, the girl was getting much heavier now she was about to get into her growth spurts – and noticed a small dandelion on the way.

"What do you say we stop by the meadow on our way home?" Katniss grinned "we can grab some stuff for a huge dandelion salad."

"My favourite! Yes, definitely!" Prim squealed in delight, squeezing her sister in fondness. They never had dandelion salad unless Katniss was in a good mood – she was always a little uneasy about it, despite loving it dearly. So Prim treasured this burst of happiness from her sister, and chose not to question it. When they came across the meadow – which was in reality little more than patchy grass and would be much nicer with more upkeep, they found it littered with golden haired stems that shone brightly in the summer sun. Prim squealed, darting about and collecting the leaves, shoving them in her mouth and in her pockets for later, also filling up the satchel Katniss took _everywhere_ – just in case – in little to no time at all. Katniss smiled – Prim had always had such a way with herbs and plants. A genius in all things medicinal. She could only hope one day she had the chance to use her talents.

"Hey Prim, what do you want to do when you grow up?" Katniss asked lightly, with a small smile. Prim looked up from the dandelion she was gorging, a leaf sticking out of her mouth at a comical angle. After chewing determinedly and swallowing most of her mouthful down, she replied.

"I'd love to be a doctor or a medic" she explained wistfully "but they're all trained in the capitol, and only District 1, 2 and 4 have hospitals. So, I'd like to do what Mom does and heal people around here with herbs and stuff. As best I can that is..." Prim frowned, and Katniss' heart lurched as she wished she could send her sister to the capitol and pay for the highest quality, most specific training possible. But they were in District 12, and it was impossible.

Glancing down at the full bloomed flowers that were so often referred to as weeds, Katniss smiled. A lightness filled her to the tips of her toes as she picked one and tucked it behind her ear. Letting herself fall to her knees, and then tucking her legs under her as she absorbed herself into the grass beneath her, she pulled up little dandelion leaves and nibbled them, relishing the earthy taste. It tasted like something her father would have gathered. Rustic and pure and untainted, fresh from the ground.

"Do you miss Dad, Prim?" Katniss' voice wavered a little, and the younger girl looked at her oddly, spinning to face her.

"... Of course I do. It's really frustrating" the blonde rubbed one of her bare arms absently "because I was so young when he died, all my memories are like little flashes of him. The only concrete memory I really have is a few days before the accident, and he was getting me settled down to bed early because I'd had a headache. Mom had given me a drop of sleep syrup because it was really bugging me, so I was all fuzzy. And he kissed my forehead and told me that I had all the best of Mom and all the best of my sister, and that I'd do something incredible one day." Prim looked at her feet. "And then he told me he loved me and I fell asleep with him humming the valley song."

"You never told me that" Katniss murmured as her sister grew closer to her.

"You always look so sad when we talk about Dad. And besides, you have way more memories than me – with the woods and the lake and everything you shared. This is just something I had to hold onto. To remember my father loved me" Prim shrugged as if it wasn't too important, sitting by Katniss' side. They grazed at the dandelions noncommittally.

"He talked about you all the time. How much like Mom you were, and yet there was something in you she didn't have" Katniss mumbled, lying back. "How you had this light in your eyes that made him know he had done something right in raising you. That you were strong. He said that about both of us."

"He was right" Prim nodded, taking Katniss' hand. "We are. But strength and being alone aren't interlinked Katniss."

"We'll see" Katniss replied softly. "There's always hope."


	3. The Tribute Parade

_Hi! Updating on just Saturdays is making me sad because I'm writing a fair bit faster than that. Maybe just every couple of days, I don't know. We'll see what happens. Ummm the next few chapters are a bit shorter than I wanted but I like to think it gets longer eventually. Maybe. Meh!_

_If anyone has any comments on like anything please just say! Feedback makes my life worth living. Also you're all lovely and just yay, this is the best story feedback I've ever gotten and it's making me very happy to know you guys are enjoying it :D Please keep reviewing! Oh, and I know what happens in this chapter happens very fasttttt but it just has to happen okay go with me on this._

_And um, yeah, I've figured out how this story will end (I'm writing a great many chapters ahead) and I can't decide if I should kill someone. I know who I would kill, but it's just ehhhh, it would make it difficult in Book 2 because they're important for a part of it._

_I won't give details but decide in a review: kill or not kill._

_(oh and Katniss is getting ooc I know, I'm trying to pull her back later on in the chapter)_

* * *

**The Trilogy: Testament.  
Part one; A Spark.  
****Chapter three; The Tribute Parade.**

* * *

'_This is ridiculous'_ Katniss thought bitterly, as she rebraided her hair for the third time. "Prim? Can you get Mom?" She hated to ask but felt no other option was available. Prim looked up from where she lay on the threadbare rug on the floor. They were in the main room of their house, where they cooked, ate and watched the Games on the little beaten up projector in the corner.

"She went to do some house visits. Are you okay?" Katniss never asked for their mother. This was the first time since she had begun to hunt that she'd ever shown signs of wanting her to be at all involved in her life, let alone for help.

"My stupid hair keeps being stupid. And like, I don't even **care**, but I just can't get it to braid properly, and I hate it getting in my face, and just Mom can deal with this kind of crap."

"Language" Prim her chastised with a small laugh, rolling over and standing up. "Sit down, I'll do it. Are you, say, nervous about something?"

"Don't be stupid. We're just going to watch the tributes." Shaking her hair loose from the latest failed attempt, and sitting on a small wooden stool while Prim hovered behind her, Katniss scowled.

"Of course" cooing mockingly in response, the smaller girl giggled jovially. "We're still meeting Peter, right?"

"Peeta." Katniss automatically corrected. "Half five. I mean... yeah, I mean half five."

"Yeah." Suddenly Prim was a little too happy for her older sister's liking. "Half five."

School that day had gone smoothly. Delly had announced to Mr Barden and the entirety of the class that the four of them were all working together, glaring down any female who glanced at Peeta mournfully – Katniss noticed with a sudden surge of confusing annoyance that there were many. Also, the bombshell that was Delly had also pushed two of their little exclusive tables together, and the four had eaten together, though it was of course, Delly who had spoken the entirety of the time. She tried desperately hard to engage Madge in a flow of conversation, and only received occasional, short answers that led to a lull in the conversation. Peeta occasionally opened his mouth to say something, but consistently thought against it, focusing on some somewhat stale pastry he had brought along with him. The only thing he had said to her that day was that he was looking forward to seeing her that evening, which Katniss returned politely with an attempt at a smile. Her insides swam at the memory.

It was nearing five, and they would need to set off soon to meet him. As soon as they'd gotten back from school, Katniss had felt the sudden need to bathe, to wear nicer clothes, to braid her hair nicely. She'd borrowed one of the blouses her mother wore before she got married without permission, with a soft cotton touch to its light green fabric, but instead of fussing with cleaning the trousers she had spilt some blood on from one of her kills – she'd run into the woods and taken out some rabbits out of sheer habit to calm herself a little before meeting Prim at home, who'd walked with Rory that day – she pulled on her other pair, loose grey pants that were easy to move in and weren't too hot in the late, lazy summer heat.

"Done." Prim tied the end of the braid with a black tie, letting the rope fall over her sister's shoulder to the bottom of her ribcage. Katniss ran her hand along it, and was admiring how practiced her sister's fingers were getting when Prim's fingers twitched that way they did when she wanted to use just a little more of a herb in one of the remedies she helped her mother make, but thought better than to ask.

"What?" Katniss looked up at her sister with an arched eyebrow, a little shorter than her little sister while sat down.

"Nothing! Nothing. I just..." Prim bit her lip. "I just wanted to put a ribbon in."

Katniss blinked.

And then she tensed.

And then she thought.

"Go for it."

Prim's face lit up like a candle, before she dashed off to where she kept her small selection of ribbons – she looked after them so carefully, so enamoured with the small amount of prettiness she had in her possession. She found a dark green one, which she knew Katniss would object the least to, and fastened it around the top of Katniss' head like a headband, tying a neat bow on the opposite side that the braid fell. With one look in the mirror glass, Katniss bit the inside of her cheek. She looked every bit Prim's sister, with a bow and similar features she'd never noticed they had – the same cheekbones and shape of face. Their noses were identical. Other than their colouring, they both looked the spit image of their mother. For a moment, Katniss hated herself for it, but she reminded herself of what Prim always told her when she muttered dark things about their mother. _'I look like the woman who loved, and was loved by, my father so dearly, they defied normal standards and their families, and started their own.'_ With that biting thought, she smiled sadly, extending her hand to Prim. Anyone who had been so in love with the wonderful man that was her father could only have been a good person, even if they had been so weak.

"We best go meet him, huh?"

Prim smiled at her softly.

"Uh huh."

* * *

Peeta had not been as subconscious as Katniss had about making an effort. The bakery was shut at five, as usual, and he had immediately scrubbed his face and torso with cold water and their precious soaps his mother insisted he use very sparsely. He changed into flour free clothes – school closed at two, and he did the last, smallest shift of quarter past two to five every weekday, being the only one of the family still in school. What little time he had he used frugally, and five minutes before the time Katniss and Prim were due to meet him, he stood out front of the bakery, leaning against the front door in a thinly veiled attempt to look casual.

This was it.

After Katniss's return of his blurted flirtatious comment the day before, he hadn't been able to get the shy-almost-but-not-quite-a-smile out of his mind, nor the slightly softened tone of voice she had used for it. It rang, clear as bells, in his head, so much sweeter than he had ever imagined in all the years he'd obsessed and pined for her. And finally, finally, they were _talking_ as though they could maybe be friends. They were _flirting_ in a weird, reclusive way that hinted at the most painful maybe he'd ever considered. Peeta hadn't slept since she'd succumbed to Prim's plea for them to watch the parade together, his heart had always pounded too loudly at night. He'd allowed himself to focus on her entirely to stop himself thinking about Orchid, that pretty, sweet girl he'd always wondered about, who'd smiled and said hello in school even after she had looked so sad when he told her one day that he wasn't allowed to say it back.

His Mother's biological brother (that was how she referred to him and insisted they do the same - no 'Uncle', or any term of endearment) had married a girl from the Seam, completely enamoured with everything about her. She was strong willed and full of sweetness and light and had a course, rough edge that peaked his interest so high that he fell so completely and irrevocably in love with her. Being the eldest, he had inherited the family business – a small sweet store that only the richest in District 12 could buy from, sugar was such a luxury, and melting it down to create sweets and toffee and caramel was so expensive, Peeta knew that himself from helping with cakes. But they had found alternative ways of creating sweets, using maple from trees in the woods he knew Katniss' father had supplied them with, and that business was given to the man who married a girl from the Seam.

And his mother hated them for it.

But Peeta didn't care for this separation anymore. He prayed for the unlikely chance she would come home, so he might mend something between them, whether or not his mother knew about it. Sadly, he shook the thoughts from his head. He knew she would not come home.

He had made some headway though, when he'd gone to see her in the Justice building though, he comforted himself. That was something.

* * *

"_Peeta!" She looked at him with wide, tearful eyes, but even the red tint to her gaze didn't distract from the sheer joy in her voice. "Honestly, I didn't think any of you Mellark's would come. Or Aunt Cl..."_

"_Don't even think about that right now" Peeta interrupted in a mournful voice as he scratched the back of his head. "Orchid I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I couldn't be your friend, your family. And if you get back I'd like to change that."_

"_I won't come back Peeta," she scoffed, collapsing onto the loveseat in the room with almost a bored expression, like she'd said this before today. "I've got no real battle skills. I can barely walk without falling over!"_

"_Don't talk like that..." Peeta mumbled, abashed. _

"_No, it's true!" Orchid flicked her dark hair over her shoulder, resigned to her fate. "It's okay. I'm fighting for Talon to get out, anyway. He has a chance... besides, he has people who need him. So let's not 'if you get back' all that crap. Let's be friends now, because we were always family."_

"_You're too forgiving of me." _

"_I'm about to die, I can forgive whoever the hell I want."_

* * *

His mood brightened as he saw Katniss approaching, the sun to her back, giving her a glow that filled his heart so completely there was no part of him that could be sad in that moment. There was a ribbon in her hair, he realised. He'd not seen ribbons in her hair since her father had died in that terrible mining accident.

It suited her an awful lot.

He causally raised an arm in greeting, hoping to diminish his nerves. Prim beamed, waving excitedly, running ahead of Katniss and pouncing on Peeta, flinging his arms around his neck. He staggered backwards, but caught her before she dropped her own weight, carefully placing her back on the ground. Her smile was wider than he'd thought humanely possible, and he couldn't help but return it.

"Do you like Katniss' hair? I did it. She never _ever_ lets me do her hair! Don't you think she should wear ribbons more often?" She bounced on the balls of her feet, babbling excitedly, and Peeta felt his heart swell. Little Prim was just as wonderful as her older sister, so pure and everything that was so rare in Panem.

"I love Katniss' hair" Peeta replied honestly, glancing up at the aforementioned girl with a slight smile, watching her watch their interaction with a bemused smirk. "And yes, the ribbon does look very pretty, but anything would look pretty on Katniss." Immediately, he chastised himself. He was such a fool! Why did words keep tumbling out of his mouth around her that would make her uncomfortable? He glanced at her again, nervously, and was surprised to see her blushing a little, looking steadfastly at the floor. Prim gave an exaggerated, joyous inhale, before agreeing happily, ranting about how Katniss always looked so pretty and it wasn't fair because she never even tried by doing her hair nice or wearing pretty clothes.

"I hate pretty clothes" Katniss scowled, and Peeta stifled a laugh. "Hi, by the way."

"Hi." Peeta didn't bother to conceal his beaming smile, and shoved his hands in his pockets so he wouldn't try to grab her hand or something stupid.

"Shall we?" The two ignored Prim's excited babble.

"Let's."

They would have walked in a heavy, pregnant silence if it wasn't for the constant chatter of Prim, more _at_ Peeta than to him, but she kept the atmosphere light and companionable and allowed Katniss to wallow in her thoughts. They were coming close to the square, the screens from the reaping still high on the Justice Building until after the closing ceremony of the Games was finished. Currently, the screens were filled with the faces of Claudius Templesmith and Caesar Flickerman looking down on them, discussing possible expectations of the games.

"The tributes from District 1 and 2 look as hopeful as ever" Claudius boomed, rubbing his hands together eagerly. He was the commentator for the games, and his voice was much more appealing than his face. It was warped and distorted from too many capitol trends. Caesar nodded next to him, a pondering smile on his face. He dyed his hair and suit to match, along with his garishly bright lipstick, all a sharp electric blue. It was more tolerable than last year. Coloured a horrific shade of crimson, he looked as though he was bleeding.

"Let's not ignore District 11's male tribute, I think he could be in with a great chance this year!" He replied in a laughing, light tone, a charismatic grin that showed a hint of his silent support for the underdogs, it was implied every year, spurring the Capitol audience to watch them a little more closely despite the quick and inevitable slaughter of most of them. It made it more interesting. As each tribute was discussed, a picture was shown of them at their reaping. District 1's tributes were naturally attractive, the male tall with light features, a cocky smile, mousey brown hair and thin muscles along his somewhat lean form. The girl tribute outshone him completely, with flowing, luscious locks of blonde hair and glittering blue eyes, and a sensual, overdeveloped curve to her body that was much older than her eighteen years. Marvel and Glimmer. And then, District 2 was as bloodcurdling as ever – the girl was short, with a heart shaped face and spite filled eyes. Something, Katniss figured, had to have made her very angry at some point in her life, and there was a haunting, tremor inducing line to her lips that made her all the more threatening. Despite the hulk of a male next to her, Katniss would have put every penny she owned on that girl. Clove, was her name. But of course, the District 2 male was every bit as terrifying as a career tribute should be. Haltingly muscular, tall, achingly handsome but frightfully cocky, an arrogance in his own ability that made that attractive edge to him so much more fearsome, as though he was built this way to attract prey towards him and then slaughter it as it came too close - Cato. The District 11 male they showed, Thresh, was every bit as large and muscular as Cato, but his face was quieter, kinder in a sombre way. His features were opposite to those of the District 2 candidate, with ebony skin and darker hair, with eyes that seemed to glow a warm, reassuring amber. With a small smile, Katniss decided she liked him. That she wanted him to win if District 12 couldn't. They mentioned his female counterpart, saying she was more of an 'outside chance', meaning they expected her to go on the first day, and called her Rue. She was small, no larger than Prim, with the same dark features as Thresh, but a quiet fear in her eyes that reminded Katniss of her little sister's eyes when they discussed the aftermath of the reaping on their way to school the day prior. Her heart lurched. Yes, Katniss wanted for District 11 to win if District 12 couldn't.

"Haven't mentioned District 12." Peeta frowned a little, leaning back against a wall towards the back of the square. The three of them had shied away from the bulk of the crowd, next to a small stone wall that was low enough for Katniss to lift Prim up to sit on, but tall enough that even Peeta's solid six foot three height could rest comfortably against it. Katniss leant next to him, Prim to her other side.

"They never do" Katniss replied with a scoff, a little resentment in her tone. "What do you think? Coal miners, or naked with coal dust?"

"Coal dust" Peeta replied with a sigh. "They have attractive tributes this year, and who wouldn't want to see Orchid and Thorn covered in nothing but black dust, right?"

"Capitol freaks. I sure as hell wouldn't" Katniss almost hissed her response, and he gave a small smile, although lopsided and a little sad.

"That's because you're _sane_."

The parade was beginning. The District 1 chariot came out first, their horses a fairytale, gleaming white, the classically beautiful tributes decorated in precious jewels that only enhanced the typically perfect appearance of the frequent winners. District 2 followed, dressed as Roman warriors and looking terrifying. They were probably favourite to win this year. It went on, and on, and Peeta became visibly more upset with each Chariot. District 11, dressed in overalls and surrounded by flowers, Agriculture... And then _what was that..._

District 12, Talon and Orchid, their hands entwined as they held their arms up high, frightfully angry facial expressions, and black jumpsuits that seemed to glow sensual purple, white hot, burning red... They were coal itself, dangerously smouldering, and incredibly beautiful. Sparks of light burst from them – they were burnt coal ready to ignite whatever came in its path, spitting sparkling lights like a cascade of light. They were spellbinding. The jumpsuits themselves were cut cleverly, both were sleeveless, with their arms dusted softly in shimmering black powder, reflecting the light, Talon's arms surprisingly thick, Orchid's slender and graceful. Orchid's suit hugged her body in a way that made her look the incredibly attractive woman she was, and Talon looked the man that was born to stand by her. Suddenly people were chanting their names, Peeta's hand found Katniss' and crushed it between his fingers in nerves, and Orchid had caught a rose thrown by someone in the audience, brandishing it towards the crowd in an almost cocky, superior way.

"You wouldn't think they were so sweet in person, would you?" Katniss nearly smiled at the sight, and turned to Peeta with what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "They won't go down without an honourable fight."

"Yeah" Peeta returned softly, a small smile gracing his ever optimistic face. "She's not half bad at this performance lark."

"I don't even know how I'd do it" Katniss admitted, scratching the back of her head. "I can't even lie to Prim about how much her ribbons cost, let alone perform to a crowd like that."

"I suppose the adrenaline will help" he filled in, giving her a sideways glance. "You have a real power over people Katniss. Like... you don't know the effect you can have."

"I don't have an effect on anybody" she scoffed dismissively. "Besides, it doesn't matter. What happens to them is out of our hands, and if they come home then we can look forward to parcel day." Parcel day came once a month for the winning district for a year – more food, luxury sweets and chocolates for the children, long lasting canned foods and things that made the bad times much easier, but they'd not had a victor in so long that none of the three had seen one in their lifetimes.

"So this is business then?" Peeta gave her a good natured chuckle, and Katniss found herself frowning. "Your interest in our tributes is fuelled by the outside chance of more food on the table every month. Or at least, that's the impression you're trying to give."

"You're wrong." Katniss snapped a little more than she intended to. "I care about Parcel day because it means a happier, better fed district. But I care about the tributes, I'm not heartless."

"I didn't mean-"

"No." She turned to him with a frown. "Two years ago, Talon came running to my mother with his little sister, she was in a real bad way. He stayed while she was worked on all through the night, herbal remedies and fever pills poured down her throat – she had some type of real dangerous virus. Talon put himself out there for that girl, completely heartbroken at the idea of the girl being in any kind of even slight pain." Katniss shook her head, as if the memory caused her some acute grief. "Now, that little girl has to watch him through the games. I want nothing more than to find her out, to help her – but the more people I help, the thinner I spread that help with my hunting, the less I make sure I feed my own family, my own little sister." She stared the baker down with steely eyes. "Then, we can't forget Orchid, who from what you've told me, is a kind, good person who was lumped with a difficult family situation, and still retains that infinitely good nature. Not to mention, the anguish you're clearly struggling with over the regrets you have, and after everything you've done you don't deserve any of that. Don't tell me that I don't care. I'm not that much of a complete bitch, thank you."

"That's exactly the opposite of what I meant!" Peeta backtracked quickly, his eyes wide. "I meant that-that, most everything comes down to caring for the people you care for, I think it's the most admirable, good quality you have, and trust me I think there are very, very many of those, it's a steep contest." There was a pause for a moment, before Prim decided to cut into the somewhat frostier glare Katniss was giving Peeta with a steep frown.

"You know..." she said lightly, "Katniss did just say that you don't deserve that sadness Peeta, and I quote, '_after everything you've done'..._ new topic, discuss."

"... You did say that." Peeta gave a sheepish grin, and Katniss scowled further.

"Okay, look, maybe this was a mistake" she began to reach for Prim, to take her down and head home, but the smaller girl kicked her hands away, visibly pouting for the lack of progress. "All I wanted was to pay you back for the damn bread, I figured hey, maybe I can be a damn friend while you're damn cousin is in the damn Hunger Games, but no – gracious no, instead I get this giant pile of crap and it's frustrating and everything feels weird about this. Prim, get down, we're going."

"What do you mean pay me back for the bread?" Peeta frowned. "You mean when we were eleven? Katniss, I wasn't going to let you _starve!_ Don't be so stupid as to think I wanted any kind of repayment, I just couldn't bear to see you on your last legs, and I-"

"Why?" Katniss turned on him, her cheeks flaring with irritation. "Why on EARTH did you throw them, why did you let me survive, why did you let her hurt you just so I could carry on?"

"Are you complaining?" He replied in an exasperated voice. "I couldn't watch you starve, so I gave you food. Big whoop."

"Yes, big whoop. HUGE whoop! That bread became my _hope!_" Her voice was beginning to lace with a desperate edge, a forceful sadness that had been trembling in her stomach for the past four years as she tried and tried to find a way to thank him, somehow, for giving her and her family what she never could. "It started my hunting, my gathering, everything that made me into a provider. Peeta, this is more than a couple of loafs of bread to me, it's my family's life, and mine too."

Peeta was quiet for a moment, glancing up at the screen. President Snow, a puffy lipped, frail looking man with a menace to his eyes looked back at him, speaking to the tributes in a falsely warm manner. The cameras focused more on District 12 than they did anyone else. He looked back to Katniss, who was staring at him in a quiet, but frenzied way, with a burning question on her lips. _'Why? There's more to this Peeta. Why?'_

"I'm in love with you." It was a soft admission, quiet and suddenly shy. "I have been since I first heard you sing when we were five, in the music assembly... you had your hair in two little braids, with a red ribbon tied like the one you're wearing now." She stared at him blankly, a quiet realisation dawning in her eyes. "You were wearing a little red plaid dress, and my Dad pointed you out to me, saying that he wanted to marry your mother, but she'd run off with a coal miner... I asked him why, he said that when he sung the birds fell silent."

"They did." Prim mumbled quietly.

"And then, the music teacher asked who knew the Valley Song, and your hand shot up so quickly that it could have been a bird taking off. And she stood you on a little chair and you sung it all, every verse, and I swear to whatever god there may be that every bird outside the school was deathly silent." He swallowed, trying to read her expression. "And... And I've been a goner ever since." The two sixteen year olds were shocked, both frightened by the admission he had made. Peeta honestly didn't think he'd had it in him.

"Prim." Katniss looked up to her sister, who gave her a soft blink, understanding, and allowed the girl to lift her back down. "Look, Peeta... I... I can't, okay? I can't. Thank you for the bread." With that, Katniss turned and walked away hastily, her arms wrapped around herself and head ducked down. Prim watched her go, before turning to Peeta with a sad smile.

"She's been like this since Dad died. She doesn't want to get married, be susceptible to the pain she saw Mom go through when he died, she thinks she can't let herself be weak if she's going to provide for us." She squeezed his hand. "Don't take it badly, she... well, she's Katniss. She's stubborn and easy scared by people who aren't everything she knows, like me and Gale. It's not you, it's her."

And with that, the twelve year old took off after her sister with a low sigh that sounded something like "stupid girl".

And Peeta leaned back against the wall, closed his eyes, and willed himself not to cry.


	4. Conclusively

**The Trilogy: Testament  
Part one; A Spark.  
****Chapter four; Conclusively**

* * *

The next day at school, Delly did not put the two tables together at Lunch. She did, however, march over to Katniss and Madge's table, as they sat in silence, marred only by Katniss mentioning they'd probably work in a pair after all, and Madge accepted this with an unassuming nod, and a squeeze of Katniss' fingers.

"Madge," Delly chimed brightly, a hidden menace in her eyes that both girls were terrified of. "May I speak to Katniss alone?"

"... We're eating." Madge replied calmly, but Katniss saw her finger twitch.

"It's cool Madge; I'll go for a quick walk with Delly." Giving her only female friend a pained look, Katniss grimaced and stood. What onslaught was she about to be hit with? It wasn't exactly her fault she wasn't in... in... she wasn't _reciprocating_ his feelings, which were absurd as it was.

"Thank you, Katniss." Delly gave her a stiff, unwelcoming smile, before linking their arms together, marching her to the corner of the room, where she whirled about with a frown more hurt than a tribute betrayed in an alliance. "What the hell, Katniss? He really cares about you."

"Oh my goodness, are you seriously doing this?" Exasperation was the only emotion Katniss could find at the blonde's pushy, idealistic nature. "I _cannot _feel the same way, it's too much hassle. Besides, since when is it mandatory for girls to like the guys that confess big speeches that sound like they came out of a thirteen year olds journal?" Katniss gave an angry scowl. "Peeta's a really great guy. He deserves to be happy. But I can't be that girl, and I won't be. I'm not weak enough for that bullshit."

"I'm not saying fall into his arms at sunset and marry him and have his babies." Delly rolled her eyes, folded her arms, and gave Katniss a look so unlike the normally bubbly demeanour of the girl that she felt a little nervous. "I'm not that much of an insult to women. I'm saying don't walk away with an overdramatic 'I can't' and not talk it out with him so he can at least have you as a friend! That's all he's ever wanted because he was obsessed with the idea you're too good for him, and that he would be oh so content with you being in his life. So this, dear Katniss, is what we're going to do."

"Do I have a say in this?" Katniss nearly growled, and Delly shook her head.

"Like you said, he's a great guy. Be his friend. Do the project with us, and make it not weird between you." The blonde gave her a lopsided, sad smile. "He's going to spend the rest of his life pining for you, completely smitten by everything you do. You owe him this much."

At the word 'owe', Katniss nearly blacked out.

"Okay." Hating herself as soon as she opened her mouth, Katniss sighed. "We'll do the stupid project; we'll make friends, whatever. Just... just leave it Delly."

"Excellent! Are you free Friday evening?" As Katniss nodded, the merchant girl beamed. "Go to the bakery then. Its Tribute scores that evening, so Peeta's mother is out and the rest of the family go off their own ways to get out of the house. Be there at six, we'll start the project. Bring Madge!"

And with that, Delly flounced away, and that was the last Katniss saw of the girl, or Peeta, until Friday.

* * *

It was Wednesday, and Katniss was out of school straight after lunch. She had no qualms with cutting class and she felt too worn and bedraggled to deal with seeing Peeta's red eyed gaze or Delly's frowning face. She'd already stacked up a big number of kills and was gathering some vegetation when Rory cleared his throat.

Rory was the spit of his brother. He was tall for his age – he towered over Prim – and had the same hard gaze and lean, taught frame. The line of his nose was just so like Gale it nearly made Katniss cry to think of her friend, hammering away at the underground to fuel the Capitol, trapped in his father's tomb.

"Is it a bad time?" Rory asked awkwardly, twiddling his thumbs, and Katniss shook her head, smiling sadly.

"I just miss hunting with your brother" she explained softly. "Okay, come here, you can use my old training bow."

Soon Rory was showing himself to be naturally as talented as his brother. He shot a rabbit in the foot in the first few hours of practicing.

"Not perfect, but very very good start." Katniss praised, killing the wounded animal by slitting its throat mindlessly. Rory paled a little at the sight, but hardened his gaze, nodding. Katniss' heart melted; he was trying so hard to be tough to help his brother, in exactly the way Gale did for him. "How about we do some snares?"

"Gale ran me through a few of those last night, when I told him what I was doing as he got in!" Rory suddenly blurted, grinning. He grabbed some vines on a tree, tugging them eagerly and snapping them into his hands, before taking some twigs and twisting them deftly, making a basic snap trap. Then he set it up by a tree, using lower branches as a help for securing it in place. He worked so quickly and efficiently, it was like watching Gale for a moment. "Like that?"

"Watch your supporting vine there a little" Katniss corrected softly, and he did.

And then Katniss remembered what Gale had said about running away together. About how he'd have kids, if he didn't live here. How they'd be like him. With a frown, she shuddered.

Could she do it? Watching Rory like this was so fulfilling, so warming that she felt like she could. The total fear at being a mother was more on the protecting of that child, rather than the raising and bearing of one. Say, if her child was taken to the Hunger Games – her heart faltered at the thought. She couldn't, she couldn't she couldn't...

If she lived here, she couldn't.

What about Gale himself? She hissed through her lips, almost exasperated. They would fight. Too fiery a match. It would be angry and resentful and would end so, so badly, she knew that already. But then there was how well they knew each other, the calm they had around each other... they could work past it, maybe. Surely.

The thought wasn't comfortable, and she knew somewhere in her stomach she couldn't muster up those feelings for Gale. She never would.

"Okay... how's that?" With a proud smile, Rory turned and gestured grandly to the snare in a way that made her snort with laughter, such a rare rare thing. She decided she'd like hunting with Rory.

"Perfect. Just wait till I tell your brother."

* * *

Some evenings, Prim would ask her how she thought the tributes were doing. She would reply honestly. Katniss would tell her how Talon looked strong, and resourceful. He may not have the bulk that the other male tributes had, but he looked lean muscled and fast, and he was quite short so he could probably get up a tree if he needed to. Then, she would say how pretty Orchid was, how sponsors would fall all over her, especially after the buzz she in particular got from the tribute parade. Capitol citizens were apparently completely smitten with the girl and her stunning appearance, and that lethal glare that was smouldering in her eyes as the carriage drew her near. Talon was merely an accessory to her grandeur in that moment, and everyone was aware of that. It was very probable that she would not want for anything in the arena so long as Haymitch kept his wits about him. But she didn't mention the other things, like how Cato and Thresh could break Talon like a twig, or how Clove looked so dangerous and frightening next to the truth of Orchid, the innocent beauty. The audience would get a kick out of her being completely mutilated, she was sure.

Some evenings, Prim would ask if she'd seen Peeta. Katniss wouldn't reply.

Every evening, Prim would hold Katniss' hand while she battled some very difficult feelings that involved owing Peeta and something a little funny that she couldn't get out of her head. But she didn't want to dwell on that because it was just too much hassle.

* * *

"I miss Gale." Katniss said miserably as Prim dragged her home from the meadow – straight after school on Friday she hid in a little hollow in a tree in the woods and stayed there as long as she dared without making herself late. She shot a few squirrels as a peace offering; hopefully Peeta wouldn't hate her too much. When she retreated to the meadow, she found Prim with her arms crossed and an irritated pout. "I miss Gale and I miss hunting with him and I miss having silent conversations with him and I miss him understanding what I was feeling."

"I miss him too" Prim cooed "but right now we need to get you ready to go to Peeta's house, and I don't think you want to do that covered in animal blood."

"I'm not covered in..." Katniss looked down at herself. "Well gee, I really _am_ covered. Good shout."

"What I'm here for!" The small blonde gave her a cheery smile as they arrived back to their modest home, shoving Katniss away to change. When she reappeared in dark green shorts and a grey, sleeveless top – it was still so hot out – Prim sat her down to braid her hair again. It was done in that same, complex way she had done it for the tribute parade and without asking she once again tied a ribbon through into a bow. "Very pretty. Are you feeling happier now?"

"No." Katniss gave her sister a half-hearted smile. "Thank you."

"I never thought I'd see the day that Katniss Everdeen let someone look after her!" Prim teased, pushing her upright. "You have ten minutes to get to the bakery. Now, off you go."

And off she went.

Katniss had kept her leather hunting boots on because they were just so comfortable, and jogging along to the bakery – it normally took about quarter of an hour to get there, and she hated being late – felt breezy and natural despite the churning in her stomach. With her game bag of squirrels ready to cook over her shoulder, she could almost kid herself she was just headed off to make her trades for the evening.

But she wasn't, and as she reached the bakery a feeling of unease took her over once again. The building's chalky white exterior reminded Katniss of the crisp pale colouring of the innards of one of their perfectly cooked white flour loafs that Prim adored, or the silky icing of their frosted cakes. Katniss bit the inside of her mouth a little too hard and she felt a dull ache when she released her teeth. Delly spotted her from a window and opened the door before even consulting Peeta, who Katniss could just make out in the background, talking to Madge quietly.

"Evening, Katniss!" It appeared Delly was back to her cheerful self. "What's in the bag?"

"I shot some squirrels an hour back in the woods. Brought them over for some... study snacks." Being so familiar with someone she didn't know all that well didn't bode well with Katniss, but if this stopped her owing Peeta then she'd do it.

"Awesome! Hey Peet, Seamy here brought squirrels!" Delly had grabbed Katniss' wrist with little to no permission, her slender fingers fixing around the bony limb, stretching her skin slightly, the palm of the Merchant girl against the back of Katniss' hand.

"Did she just call Katniss 'Seamy'?" Madge muttered softly, and Peeta shrugged.

"Apparently."

Katniss either did not care or was not in the mood to be confrontational, so she gave it a pass, but with a warning glare to Delly that reminded her she had a name.

"Squirrels!" Delly reiterated desperately, and Peeta glanced over to the now slightly fidgety brunette.

"Cool, thank you Katniss." Peeta filled in politely, with a warm smile, and Katniss' heart clenched. She did not deserve this kindness.

"No problem." She passed him the bag without looking him in the eye. "Shall we start the project then?"

The four ended up spread out in the 'living room', a small but comfortable room with some chairs and a better kept projector than Katniss had. They ignored the chairs, sitting either cross legged or lying on the floor, arguing over different sections. They had to come up with a very exacting timeline of District 12's history.

"And so 50HG was the year we had Haymitch for a victor, and 17HG was our first victor. What was his name again?" Delly asked, rolling onto her back as Peeta scribbled down some notes in his paper pad.

"Nicky Sandles." Madge filled in quietly, swirling her fingers across her textbook. "He died in 51HG in a freak accident during a visit to the mines."

"How awful!" Delly crooned, and Madge rolled her eyes at the girl's over exaggerated personality.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Well, that's the last section." Peeta cracked his knuckles, and Katniss looked at him sceptically. "That's job done."

"What do you mean? We have it all planned yeah, but we haven't put it out on paper." She gave him a furrowed look, imploring a concern he couldn't be bothered with the workload. It was an important grade. She didn't care much – she'd be in the mines regardless, but it meant something to Madge to meet her father's expectations.

"Oh, Peeta will do that." Delly sat up, rolling her shoulders and moving to the projector. "He's real good at letter work and stuff. Drawing in general – you should see some of his sketches!"

"Delly, calm down." Peeta gave her a firm glance. "Just get the TV on; I want to see the scores."

She flicked the screen on in time to see the introduction. They showed flashes of tributes practicing at various stations in the tribute centre, with sterile grey walls and fancy looking equipment. Katniss let out a soft breath of admiration at the sleek silver bows the District 1 girl, Glimmer, lined up with a wobbly clutch, and soon scoffed at an outside ring shot. Peeta glanced at her fondly while she couldn't see.

"District 2 looks terrifying this year." Madge commented as they showed Clove pummelling targets with daggers, and Katniss shivered, getting a horrific image in her mind of the girl hovering over her, tracing her lips with a knife. They captioned each one with their names, their current betting odds and their districts. The ordering was completely random.

"Yeah, they do." Peeta nodded, as Cato lunged across from dummy to dummy with a beautifully crafted sword, slicing one above the knee, deep in his left leg. The baker winced.

"Keep your eye on District 5, the girl." Katniss suddenly mentioned, watching her sweep every logic test they had. "Smarts can be more lethal than brawn."

"Oh, oh Peeta look, it's Orchid!" Delly exclaimed, leaning in to watch the brunette with her dark hair twisted into a braided bun on the back of her head, leaning how to spark a fire with a deep set frown from concentrating. As the glowing embers caught, bathing her symmetrical face in light, the caption came up: Orchid "The Spark" Naysmith, 35:1. Her nickname had come from the spitting costumes she and Talon had worn and her instant catch on every single capitol viewer.

Suddenly the screen lurched; Claudius Templesmith and Caesar Flickerman were on the screen, the montage continuing on a panel behind them. They began chatting about rumours about the tributes: the romance between the two District 12 tributes – Katniss bit her lip trying not to laugh, the tension between the Talon and Cato – which made all of the watchers very uncomfortable, and the poor fortune of District 10, whose male tribute was lame and needed a crutch to walk.

Soon the chatter moved on to the training. They'd guessed wonderful things from District 1 and 2, naturally, and as the scores came up, indeed both District 1 tributes got nines, and both District 2 tributes got 10. This continued on – Katniss noticed that the girl from District 5 (she nicknamed her fox face in her mind from her red hair and sly looking eyes) only got a five, which she dismissed as bad marking, or the girl hiding her talents. Thresh from 11 got a ten, and Rue, the small twelve year old, got an eight which made Katniss smile immensely, proud of the little fighter. When Talon's picture came up, the room held their breath. Madge gave Katniss a nervous glance, and Katniss frowned, remembering his sister.

"And for Talon Redpath of District 12... we have an eleven."

And the room was in uproar.

"That's unheard of!" Delly squawked, and Madge was suddenly as vocal as Delly.

"Impossible!" She cried, jumping to her feet and hoping up and down. "No one has gotten an eleven in... in... in 67 years!" Madge had most hunger games numbers memorised; she needed them if she was going to succeed her father. "Genuinely, I think that he must have done something controversial and they're having the other tributes target him."

"Or..." Peeta bit his tongue for a moment. "Or he's a hunter."

His theory caused quiet in the room, and they all took their seats on the floor again.

"It makes sense" Madge mumbled, folding her arms. "He would have a serious skill in a weapon."

"How would he get one though?" Katniss frowned, running her hands through her braid, finding the ribbon Prim had put there and tearing it out, so she could ball it in her hands as a distraction. "My... My Dad made my bows, but I don't... I mean, it's so difficult, I've never been able to replicate it."

"Maybe something a bit less technical. Or perhaps he didn't use a weapon, he did snare compacts. You said Gale was ridiculously good at snares, right? Maybe it's the same kind of skill?" Madge gave her an inquisitive look, and Katniss shrugged.

"I guess we'll see. I never saw him in the woods or trading though..."

The announcers finished discussing his improbable score around the same time as we did, in time for us to see Orchid's score of eight. Again, a high enough score to be questioned. Most District 12 tributes averaged at around six.

"Well... that's new." Peeta frowned, wondering what Orchid could have done. She was such a simple girl. "Anyway, hypothesising isn't going to do anything. I'm going to cook up these squirrels."

"I haven't skinned them yet," Katniss interjected, looking up at him with a sudden jolt, before cringing slightly. "I'll... I'll do that if you want."

"Sure, you're probably better than me at it." He shrugged, as though indifferent, and she stood, following him quietly and nervously. Delly grinned at her as she left, before leaning over to discuss Talon and Orchid's compatibility with Madge. They left the living room, into a narrow hall, which moved through to a huge kitchen that Katniss realised must be for the baking primarily and domestic life secondarily. "There are some knifes on the left counter." She saw them, and took a mostly unused skinning knife.

"Thanks." She stood over one of the counters, taking the bag from Peeta, and precisely took the furry hair from the small dead rodents. He watched her from across the kitchen.

"Right through the eye" he murmured, and she offered him a weak smile. "I'm sorry about Tuesday. Shouldn't have been so forward."

"No, no..." she turned to him with a deep frown, putting the knife gingerly on the side. "Look, I'm sorry I reacted so badly... just it's not every day that you're told you're someone's lifelong love, you know?"

"I get it, I really do, I feel awful about it" he apologised profusely, and Katniss shook her head, unable to believe he was taking the blame for this. "You can completely ignore me for the rest of our lives; it's all good, no hard feelings."

"How are you such a good guy?" She almost laughed. "Okay, look. New start. We're going to be friends. Nothing more nothing less. This involves spending appropriate amounts time together apparently. I don't really know, I don't have many friends."

"What did you have in mind, Katniss?" Peeta asked tiredly, folding his arms and leaning back. "Hey, let's folic through a meadow sometime?"

"I'm trying, Peeta" Katniss pleaded, a twinge of annoyance in her voice. "Please can you just help me out here, I'm _bad_ at this."

"Alright, alright, we can be friends" he smiled at her faintly, knotting his fingers in his hair, pulling it slightly in frustration. "We can be friends."

"Good." With a punctuating nod, Katniss handed him the squirrels. "Don't overcook them."

"I've cooked enough of your squirrels, Katniss." Peeta scoffed, taking the raw meat gingerly. He heated a small pan over one of the bakery hot plates, greasing the pan with some of the butter he wasn't really supposed to use on anything but bread, and cut the meat apart into thin segments before laying it out across the pan gingerly.

"See, you're going to overcook them" the hunter interjected, pointing at the underbelly of the mutilated squirrel. "Already going brown at the edges."

"That's the butter colouring it."

"No, that's burnt meat."

"It's the butter! Stop over shoulder cooking, you're worse than my damn brothers."

"I'm not 'over shoulder cooking'; I'm _correcting your mistakes_. Serious difference."

"I will kick you out of this kitchen."

"Oh please, I could take you easy."

"Yeah right, Everdeen. You're tiny."

"That doesn't mean I can't take you! I'm a scrappy fighter according to Gale."

"Scrappy fighter means cheaty female fighter."

"... Next time I see you I'm getting my bow and arrow."

"For sure. I totally expect you'll come through on that."

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you."

The two glared at each other for a long, hard moment. Katniss found her lower lip quirking up at the sides, and Peeta's eyes softened, before he smiled carefully. She raised an eyebrow in question and Peeta shrugged, a twitch in his fingers as if he wanted to move them towards her. Exhaling heavily, Katniss noted her heart was beating a little too quickly for kitchen bickering between friends.

"Shit!" Peeta broke her out of some very uncomfortable thoughts, and she turned to the stove to see what his problem was. There in the pan were four sections of charred squirrel meat, blackened along the edges.

"So..." Katniss stood behind him, tiptoeing and peering over his shoulder. "What do I win?"

"Get out."

* * *

Saturday was bland. Katniss didn't want to hunt, she wanted to wait until Sunday and do as big a haul as possible with Gale and give him something to do to make him feel himself again. With Peeta promising to finish the history project alone, Prim out in the meadow with Rory on what she continually claimed was not a date and her mother working, Katniss found herself with nothing to do. It was foreign and new, and quite relaxing. Idly, she wondered if she should visit someone, but remembered Madge was not a visit kind, and Peeta would be busy with the project, not that she desperately wanted to visit him anyway. It was just the few times she had alone to herself like this she started thinking about things. Sometimes she'd think about her father and she would cry and wonder if he would have been proud of her, or would be sad that she couldn't forgive her mother, that she couldn't love the way he did. She wondered if he'd like Gale. She wondered what he'd think of Peeta.

Some lone nerve picked up on her stray, tangent thought of Peeta and it **sprinted**. Her chest beat far too loudly again and she felt a sudden weight crash into her stomach as she lay out on her crumbling old bed, holding her down completely.

"What the hell?" She hissed slightly, her head lolling back against a thin, dirty pillow. What was this stupid reaction to his name in her mind? It was like every inch of her being craved something, some unknown fix to this stupid whatever. Lightly, she pondered the thought she might vomit.

"I'm home!" Her mother's call from across the house shook her. And with thoughts of Peeta and her father swimming around her head at a disgustingly fast pace, Katniss realised that finally there might be something her mother could help her with. And her father would want that. Right? It wasn't anything important and she wasn't relying on her for food or money, it was just... a question. Swiftly, she jumped up, fuelled by a sudden adrenaline of purpose, and crashed through the house unceremoniously until she found her mother. Evelyn was sat in the kitchen, waiting for their beaten up kettle to heat over a small fire while she chopped some mint leaves.

"... Hey" Katniss glanced at the woman warily, and Evelyn turned to her, a quiet confusion lingering in her tight expression. "... Are you busy?"

"No, not at all. Sit down if you like, I'm making some mint tea" her mother offered, nodding to another seat. Katniss took it gingerly, nodding slowly, eyeing her mother like she was a predator, ready to bolt at the slightest discomfort. "Something on your mind." It wasn't a question.

"I don't understand something. How consuming can love be if it did what it did to you?" Katniss asked bluntly, not one to dodge around a topic. Evelyn sighed, standing and adding the diced herb to the kettle.

"It becomes your life. Every moment you spend without someone can be physically painful, like hot irons burning your chest. It can make you wish you were nothing, you were gone, you were dead. Because without them there is no point." Evelyn explained softly, and Katniss frowned.

"Even your children?" She asked scornfully, and her mother sighed.

"No. I'd look at you and see him. So much of him is in you..." With a crooked smile, Evelyn reached out to her daughter. "That's what pulled me through in the end. Prim's constant love was so wonderful... but you. You reminded me that part of him is still here. I'm so grateful for you."

"... How did it start? Falling in love?" Katniss wrinkled her nose in disgust. "What is at all appealing about it?"

"I guess... I always knew. I denied it for as long as I could but there was a little spark that I couldn't shake. A heavy stomach, a tight chest... I acted differently around him. I was a new person, a lighter, talkative, said things I never dreamt of, did things I couldn't believe... I became a woman the day I accepted love."

"... I can't forgive what you did." Katniss looked her mother dead in the eye, and Evelyn nodded.

"That's the part of me in you. You find it so hard to let go. Your sister is more like your father like that. She knows how to see through people, how to accept everything there is to someone and all of their flaws. How to forgive. You and I never could." Evelyn touched Katniss' cheek gently, a heaviness to her gaze. "I just wish you could see how deeply I care for you, how much I love you Katniss. I wish you could at least know that."

"I can try to." Katniss conceded, almost reaching out to her mother but then thinking better of it. The kettle whistled. "Here, let me get the tea."

"Thank you" Evelyn exhaled, as though relieved of some great burden on her back. "Now, tell me about the person who has made you ask these questions."

Katniss did not reply at first. She took two slightly chipped mugs from the cupboard, a thin little grate to strain the tea through, and poured it carefully, letting the minty steam fill her senses for a moment. Then, she silently handed a drink to her mother and took one of her own, sipping at the scalding liquid carefully.

"I'm guessing it's not Gale, or you would have asked much sooner" Evelyn laughed lightly, and Katniss scowled.

"No. Not Gale" the brunette snapped, and her mother stifled a second chortle. "... Mellark. Peeta Mellark. He claims he's madly in love with me or something and I owe him so much, and I don't know if I'm feeling whatever the fuck" Evelyn knew better than to chastise her language at this point "this is because of that damn bread, or because I actually like him. Which is absurd. I don't like it. I would like it to go away."

"Tell me about the bread" her mother asked. For the first time in her life, Katniss then went into a detailed conversation that could be classed as girl talk, with her mother, about the boy who made her feel something. No matter how much she hated it.

He was her hope. And by the time Prim came home with a flushed smile telling the two of them how Rory had just asked if they could be boyfriend and girlfriend, Katniss had come to the most horrific, disturbing conclusion that made her want to be sick, want to scream and cry, want to beg her mother that please, she'd forgive anything, just make it so that wasn't true.

Katniss Everdeen _liked_ Peeta Mellark.

As in... _like_ liked.

And it wouldn't go away until she did something about it.


	5. Sunday

I am the worst person in the world. I'm so sorry for my lack of update/review replies, things have just been so hectic!

But honestly, you're all incredible. Thank you for your lovely words - I'll spend today writing and review replying.

I'm so in love with all of you - thank you! This week has been so awful and long and honestly just getting back to this and you lovely reviewers have gotten me through it!

So much love,

Nav xxxxx

* * *

**The Trilogy: Testament  
Part one; A Spark.**

**Chapter five; Sunday**

* * *

All Katniss could think as she sleeplessly lay in bed that night was of Gale. Gale would fix this. Gale knew her better than anyone in the world, and understood her feelings like no one else in the world possibly could. He would reassure her that she was wrong, of course she didn't like him, Peeta was just someone who'd helped her and gotten under her skin, and she hated it because he was a damn merchant boy. It had to be a merchant, of all people for her to like in this damn district it was a merchant. Was she that much her father's daughter? An uncomfortable wave of deliria washed over her as she remembered his words at the tribute parade.

"_I'm in love with you." It was a soft admission, quiet and suddenly shy. "I have been since I first heard you sing when we were five, in the music assembly... you had your hair in two little braids, with a red ribbon tied like the one you're wearing now." She stared at him blankly, a quiet realisation dawning in her eyes. "You were wearing a little red plaid dress, and Dad pointed you out to me, saying that he wanted to marry your mother, but she'd run off with a coal miner... I asked him why, he said that when he sung the birds fell silent."_

"_They did." Prim confirmed, and then fell quiet, wanting to hear the rest of his painfully difficult admission._

"_And then, the music teacher asked who knew the Valley Song, and your hand shot up so quickly that it could have been a bird taking off. And she stood you on a little chair and you sung it all, every verse, and I swear to whatever god there may be that every bird outside the school was deathly silent." He swallowed, trying to read her expression. "And... And I've been a goner ever since."_

And then suddenly Katniss wanted to cry. This wasn't fair. It was too easy, too obvious a temptation away from her beliefs. Peeta probably wanted a wife someday. Two point three kids and a family based existence. Romantic shoe box house with a pretty garden he'd tend on the weekends. She couldn't give him that. It wouldn't be fair to be with him and then as things went along deny him everything he wanted. It wasn't okay. It was mean and deceptive and selfish and he was too lovely a person for that.

Besides, when did she even start thinking about being with him at all? Her thoughts were getting hazy and frustrating and she wanted to shoot something with her bow really, really badly.

It could only have been an hour before dawn when Katniss finally succumbed and crawled out of bed without a wink of sleep. She dressed silently, braided her hair back into her hunting cap and crept out of the house without a second thought. Across the dirt path. Through the meadow. Under the fence. Through the first mile of forest. Dawn. Gale was there already.

_Gale was there._

He was sat cross legged on their rock, the wind picking up bits of fraying, short hair from his head and messing them lightly. The moment he saw her, Gale's tired, dusty eyes filled with a light that Katniss knew was probably mirrored in her own. Standing, he began to stride towards her with his arms moving out, ready to embrace her tightly.

"Gale" Katniss breathed, and fell into his arms once again. This was so unlike them but she didn't care, this man was her partner, her ally, one of the only people in this world who made her who she was. This week had been hell, and she had craved his company and reassurance.

"Catnip" he sounded haggard and tired, but alive. "I couldn't sleep. Got out here about an hour ago. I just wanted the woods. I wanted to see you, and I was selfish enough to hope you'd feel the same and come early and I'm so glad I'm right."

"This week has been so shit Gale." Suddenly the floodgates opened and Katniss' voice was thick and uncontrollable, and fat hot tears dripped from her face continuously. "So much crap is happening in my head and I just needed someone to understand it, to process it the way you do and whenever I think about you all I can think of is our Dad's and how you're working in their _graves_, and I can barely breathe and then Peeta and that's all so _crap _ and I actually talked to my fucking _mother_ about him, about **him** and I went hunting with Rory and he's just so like you, Gale, he's just** you**, but he wasn't. Not really. And it just made it worse, and I fucking hate **crying**!"

"... You talked to your Mom about the bread Mellark gave you?" Gale blinked in disbelief, and Katniss nodded miserably into his shoulder.

"Gale I don't understand why but... but I think I might..."

"No... No don't say it Catnip." He suddenly sounded so defeated, so purposeless, so alone. "Don't do that to me."

"... Gale.." Pulling away, Katniss looked up at him with red rimmed, bloodshot eyes.

"A week? That's all it took for you to fall for someone else?" Gale almost laughed in despair. "God, he's not even seam. You're in love with the baker, how perfect."

"Gale what are you saying?" Katniss suddenly became very afraid, and he stared at her wistfully, desperately. Pleadingly.

"It's me, Katniss." His voice caught a little. "Surely. Surely it's always been me."

That was like the last piece of the puzzle for Katniss. The epiphany moment. The penny dropped. It had always been Peeta. She had always watched out for him. She knew he'd won second in the school wrestling competition, that Delly was his best friend, that the squirrels in his lunches at school were a touch overcooked, that girls looked at him, that he looked at her. She'd kept track of the boy with the bread.

"It's always been Peeta" she whispered, more to herself than to Gale. He froze for a moment, digesting the words carefully. Finally, he nodded.

"Let's hunt. I don't want to talk about this anymore."

She tightened her lips and nodded.

He told her all about the mines, about the dark depression that followed him about in the underground, how a chill of fear played havoc with his spine whenever someone spoke, fearing it was a warning to leave, to run, the mines are blowing, get out get out get out. Sometimes they were just making a blasé comment. Sometimes they were signalling quitting time. Sometimes they were warning that they hit a gas pocket further back, and there might be problems.

There were never problems, but the opportunity had arisen three times in the past week.

They hunted. They made their trades – Mrs Mellark was in the bakery the first time they passed, so they vowed to come back later. Peeta was on shift when they came back. Gale handed Katniss the game and walked away with a quiet goodbye, see you next Sunday, and Katniss nearly cried.

* * *

"Did Gale leave you to finish?" Peeta asked as Katniss walked in quietly.

"He's tired. A tough week." She faked a smile, scanning the counter nervously. They had some new cookies. Frosted a minty green with white flowers. "The cookies look pretty."

"Thank you, I did them myself this morning" Peeta replied cheerily. "You look tired."

"Couldn't sleep last night." As Katniss remembered just why she couldn't sleep, her cheeks flared pink. Peeta took this the wrong way and cleared his throat awkwardly.

"I guess you were with Gale last night then." He mumbled, implying a question that sent red to the tip of Katniss' nose.

"No! Oh gosh, no, never. Not Gale, no... No, I never..." Katniss stumbled over denials, desperate for him to understand. "He's like... well, for _me_ he's like my brother. My partner, the person who... who knows me like air, and vice versa. It's not romantic, it's platonic... just... hard to explain. He's Gale. Nothing more." Peeta frowned, nodded, and then looked significantly happier.

"So how many squirrels have you today ma'am?" He asked pleasantly, and Katniss offered a nervous smile.

"Three. I know, don't even say it, not my usual Sunday haul. Gale was feeling a little sensitive about shooting squirrels today, these are just ones that were in Rory's snare..."

"Why didn't he want to shoot squirrels?" Peeta frowned, and Katniss panicked.

"He... I..." Katniss put the squirrels on the counter and frowned. "I... I couldn't say. He's sensitive about a lot at the moment." With a curt nod, Peeta knew that particular conversation was over. "Tribute interviews this evening."

"Yeah. You want to watch in the square? Unless you're busy of course." Peeta raised an eyebrow, and Katniss gave a small smile.

"Yeah, that'd be nice. Mom and Prim are watching at the Hawthorns and... I don't want to watch my little sister with her boyfriend. Plus something weird happened with Gale in the woods and I just... yeah, we need some time apart." Nervously she fidgeted, and once again chose the worst moment to remember how much she _liked_ him. It was Peeta. It was her hope. Her boy with the bread. And she would be watching the interviews with him alone.

And she was alone with him right then.

Suddenly her face was filled with colour and returned to default Katniss.

"How much are the three squirrels worth?" She asked quickly, and Peeta chortled.

"I was wondering when you'd revert to Business Katniss" he laughed. "I'll be nice. Take a loaf for each kill. You can pay me back with your sparkling conversation this evening."

"I can pay you back by teaching you how to cook these things properly sometime" she retorted, before realising she'd just arranged to spend **more time alone with him**. If she could strangle herself, she would. "Have you ever been in the woods?"

"Nope" Peeta grinned, completely floored by how talkative she was today. "Never needed to. Always wanted to."

"Well if you're not working on Saturday come with me, I'll take down some squirrels and we can cook them fresh there. It always tastes best the first hour after it's been shot." She continued to babble, and Peeta silenced her by covering her mouth with his hand.

"What's wrong Katniss?" He asked quietly, a fond smile on his face and suddenly Katniss' heart was racing because he was touching her and he was touching her lips and now she had absolutely no record of what she was thinking in the past three hours.

"Your inability to cook squirrels" she mumbled against the palm of his hand, and he laughed, moving his hand and knocking her cap off jokingly. Because she was holding her hair back with her cap she hadn't bothered to tie the braid in her hair, so it tumbled down out of its intricate knots, thick with kinks from the plait it had been in for so long, tumbling down her back. Peeta's eyes glowed for a moment, taking in her appearance, and Katniss bit her lip to stop herself from saying something she'd regret.

"You should wear your hair down more often. It suits you." He gave an uneasy smile, and Katniss flushed.

"I thought you said I'd look pretty no matter what I did with my hair" she retorted, and he grinned.

"Yeah. Yeah you do." Suddenly Katniss felt so exposed, so nervous, so surrounded.

"Five, right? You finish at five?" She checked quickly, wanting to leave. Pressing the squirrels onto the counter, he took the hint, wrapping her sour dough quickly. The way he looked at her was making her painfully aware of how mutual these feelings were and air – she needed air. She needed air she needed water she needed Gale to _understand_ – shouldn't he?

"Five" he confirmed, outwardly appearing oblivious to her internal war, but watching her struggle with some decision in her mind that she could only surface with one solution to.

"Great... it's..." she gulped, lifting the bread to her chest. It burned hot through her shirt, just like she was eleven again. Her father loved her mother so completely. He was a strong man. He'd want this.

"It's what, Katniss?" Peeta was so gentle, so caring, so infinitely kind. Good people like him had a habit of getting under her skin. She finally met his gaze, and weakened to a soft smile.

"It's a date."

* * *

The walk from the bakery to the square had not been as awkward as Katniss had panicked and assumed it would be. Conversation with Peeta flowed so naturally, so easily. They talked about their families, neither going into the topic of their mothers. Katniss told him so many memories of her father – of learning to shoot, of songs he would sing, and of sap they'd collect from maple trees and sell on to the sweet shop around the corner. On Katniss' and Prim's birthdays, they'd sometimes get little maple suckers for free in return, though he usually traded for coins. Peeta told her about his brothers, how he and Johnny would play fight, how Filone would boss them about at every opportunity, how Johnny would get the bakery, Filone would marry the accountant's daughter and how he had to figure it all out. He also told her about his dad, how close they were, how he aspired to be like him but how he also was desperate to have more than he had, and Katniss got a sneaking suspicion he was referencing his mother.

The square was pretty packed as they came in, the interviews were one of the most crucial moments of the games, and set up exactly what people could get in terms of sponsors. Caesar Flickerman took his place on the stage, audiences cheering and screeching on the huge screens around the square. Katniss and Peeta hopped up onto a wall ledge to sit on, to get comfortable. He warmed up the crowd with some anecdotes from the training center, nothing to give away strategy, but discussing gossip mostly. He mentioned Talon and Orchid's relationship and the crowd 'ooh'd in anticipation. Peeta's hand twitched toward's Katniss', and she pulled her hand away a little.

"Sorry" she mumbled, flushing. "I'm.. not sure what I'm doing."

"Why are you sorry?" He smiled innocently, quickly diving past the momentary block and she scrunched her nose at him to defuse the moment, nudging him as the first tribute arrived. Glimmer. The blonde beauty from District 1.

"Is she even wearing anything?" Katniss asked in disbelief, staring at the scrap of sheer golden fabric tied around her loosely. Peeta shrugged.

"I try not to look at things like that when I'm on a date." He gave her an analytical look, and she rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I meant it when I said date. Stop prying for answers." Giving him a warning glance, she very nearly smiled at his beaming face and turned back to the screen. Glimmer was speaking heavily, emphasising the right words and crossing her legs in the perfect angle.

"_Yes, Caesar, I'm __very__ prepared."_

As the tributes rolled past, Katniss vaguely took in the District 2 and 11 tributes and everything she saw confirmed all of her suspicions. Cato was lethal. Thresh was playing on his own terms. Clove had a manic shine to her eyes that terrified her and was ready to kill without question. Rue... was Prim. In every way imaginable. While she was on screen, Katniss found herself leaning her head away, towards Peeta, trying desperately hard not to watch.

"Hide your face in my shoulder" he said softly, giving her a fond glance. "Go on, I know you want to."

"Pig." She replied bitterly, but indeed pressed her eyes into the bone of his shoulder in a thinly veiled attempt to wipe the view from her memory. The smallest girl she had ever seen in the games. _What if that had been her?_

After a moment of low humming on Peeta's half (Katniss soon realised he was drowning out the rest of Rue's interview for her), he nudged her.

"Orchid" he whispered, and she looked up, eyes riddled in expectation. She stepped out with a casual wave, an easy smile. She was born for this audience, playing up to her newfound celebrity without hesitation. She looked completely flawless, her dress cut perfectly for her body, a deep smouldering red that shone like a ruby as the stage lights hit her. It was strapless with jagged cuts, and she looked as though she was completely engulfed by flames – that she herself was a flame. Her hair was loose and wild, streaks of red littering her near black curls and her make up striking, with dark eyebrows and smoky eyes, her lips stained a blood red.

"It's Orchid Naysmith– but we better know her as The Spark!"

Suddenly the screams were fever pitch, people in the audience clambering for her attention. She gave an easy wink, before falling into simple back and forth with Caesar.

"_So Orchid, it's safe to say you've gained a few fans here in the Capitol! What's your best memory so far of this experience?"_

"_Oh Caesar, it has to be the people in the Capitol. They've been so welcoming, and the food is completely divine, I'm sure I've gained a few stone while I've been here!"_

Apparently this was humorous to the Capitol citizens. They chortled and hooted, and she smiled shyly, her hand on her nonexistent belly.

"_I think it's fair to say every woman in the capitol wants your stylist Orchid, you look completely flawless in that dress."_

"_Why thank you Caesar! But as you said all of the credit goes to my completely wonderful stylist Cinna, sitting over there."_ The very beautiful girl brandished an arm into the audience, and Cinna bowed, a small smile. Katniss took in his appearance in surprise. Instead of the usually freakish displays stylists normally had, he looked almost normal, with deep, warm eyes and just a hint of gold eyeliner that she couldn't help but think was very attractive.

"_And the tribute parade! My gosh, Orchid, when you and Talon came out on that chariot my heart nearly stopped. What were you thinking at that moment in time?"_

"_Honestly? There is very little in my life that's ever made me feel so completely alive. I felt ready. I felt like I could do something. I felt like I had to push past everything I'd ever known and do what I needed to do to reach my goal. I could... I could kill, if it meant I reached my goal."_

Peeta's slow inhale at her words made Katniss' resolve falter. She took his hand softly, rubbing her fingers over his. Her mother used to do this for her father when he came home from the mines, so she hoped it would provide some kind of comfort. When he smiled at her, for the first time she did not falter in returning it.

"_So one would presume your goal is to win the Games of course."_

"_No. Absolutely not. I'm going into that arena with every intention of dying." _

Katniss tensed. Peeta relaxed next to her and let go of the breath he was holding. "She mentioned to me she knew she wouldn't win. She just wants..."

"_Well Ms Naysmith, that's quite a revelation. What __**is **__your goal?"_

"_For Talon to win. He has people who need him, a sister who relies on him. There's so much good in him, so much infallible kindness. I want him to go home."_

The audience squawked in surprise, giving rounds of hooting, of sympathetic coos, of shouts for the rumours to be addressed.

"_Now, Orchid, I'm sure you're aware that there are rumours flying about you and your... district partner."_

"_I'm aware." She flashed a perfect smile. "I'll leave him with the honour."_

A buzzer flashed, and Orchid stood, with what could be called a deadly smile on her face as she waved to the other tributes. She had no qualms about killing any one of them that got in her way. Inviting them in. Goading them.

"She's signed her death warrant." Peeta mumbled miserably, and Katniss sighed.

"Yeah. Yeah she has." She squeezed his hand a little, and he bit his lower lip, lost in thought. "You know, if that's what she wants then that means she's made peace with herself. Now, she knows she's going to die and she's going to die protecting someone she loves. Isn't that something good? The best outcome we could hope for from our tributes."

"Yeah, I know. You're right." The baker gave her a low smile. "I just wish she could come home. But I know you're right."

"We all wish she could come back. Both of them." Shaking her head, she stared up at the screen. "Talon's coming out."

As Talon stepped out onto the stage, Katniss ignored how dapper he looked in his all black suit with striking red tie, and instead recalled how desperately his eyes had hardened the night he watched over his sister's bedside. Now his eyes were hardened in a similar way, in the most helpless, heartbroken way as he knew someone else's life was out of his hands. The pain was palpable, and before Caesar could even open his mouth he cut through with heavy, angry words.

"_Yes. We're a couple. We're your typical sweetheart romance, the high schoolers who were hoping to spend forever with each other. We've been together a year – the reaping day was actually our first anniversary. If we both got through it we were going to the justice building, sign the papers, get married. We were going to take over her family's sweet shop eventually. Have our own family. And now that's all impossible. It's the worst luck in the world. Either one or both of us will die." _ He gave a pained stare to where the rest of the tributes were sat, finding Orchid's eyes. _"I love you. I love you so, damn much. And I'm not letting you do this. You deserve so much more than this Orchid." _Caesar stood, clasping his hand on Talon's shoulder, trying to calm the not-quite-but-could-be-construed-as rebellious tribute's shoulder, sitting him down on a chair and giving a cautious, warning smile.

"_So Talon, I gather you have your own goal in these Games?"_

"_I do, Caesar. I do."_

Once the interviews wound to a close, and Caesar had signed off, saying they were going to be the 'best games ever', both Peeta and Katniss scoffed, and fell into an uneasy silence. They quietly watched the people in the square dispersing, nodding to certain individuals they recognised as they passed by. The square was near empty and the sun was slowly starting to turn the sky pink. Biting down on the inside of her mouth, Katniss noticed she and Peeta were holding hands still. She'd always wondered why couples did this, it seemed such a silly, possessive form of affection, and could so easily get in the way of day to day life, it was seemed anything but practical. But this felt okay. She could deal with Peeta holding her hand.

"How's the History project going?" She finally asked, wanting something to distract from the thoughts that were becoming uncomfortably familiar. Peeta gave a lopsided smile.

"Pretty good, I'm nearly done" he replied lightly. "Do you want to see? My mother will be at my Aunt's this evening so you don't have to deal with seeing her, and you already know the rest of them from the bakery."

"Yeah sure," Katniss smirked. "How did you know I avoid your mother?"

"Everyone avoids my mother" Peeta replied dryly. "Also I watch as you dart away from the bakery on days she's working and come back later. Being in love with someone makes you quite observational."

"One would assume" she mumbled with a blush at her cheeks, taken back by how comfortable he was with admitting it to her now. They regained use of their hands so they could shift themselves from the wall edge, but Peeta reclaimed it the moment they began to walk along together. "So... you're in love with me, huh? How come?"

"I would assume you wouldn't want to talk about it" he retorted with a smirk "considering you're completely terrified of the topic."

"Well there's that." With a scowl, she stared at her feet as he pulled her along. "I've never had someone profess true love to me before though, it's a curious topic. My interest is purely curiosity."

"Purely business, give and take, as usual with Katniss Everdeen." Peeta almost laughed at her. "Well, if you want me to elaborate, I will. There's so much to you Katniss. Stuff you don't advertise much."

"We're going all market terms now, I see" she rolled her eyes. "Surely other girls would make more sense. They'd be more sociable, or appeasing to your mother, or, well, nicer to people."

"True," he conceded with a playful grin. She swatted at him with her free hand. "But another girl wouldn't have that crease in her forehead when she scowls. Probably wouldn't scowl as much as you anyway. Another girl can't hit a squirrel through the eye every time. Another girl can't have the birds fall silent when she sings. Another girl wouldn't fall prey to her sister's quacking, which, by the way" he gave her the fondest look she'd ever seen someone give "was sheer perfection. I replay that scene in my head all the time. The way you just caved because of Prim, just because you loved her so much and couldn't deny her anything she wanted enough to quack at you."

"She was playing up to you for attention" Katniss grumbled, and Peeta, if possible, grinned wider.

"Regardless of her motivation – another girl wouldn't be you, Katniss." He looked ahead; the bakery was coming into view. "The lights are off upstairs, I guess it's just Dad in the house."

"I really like your dad." Katniss commented suddenly, glancing at Peeta with a peaceful expression. "He's always so nice to Prim, and trades really well."

"He's a wonderful man, I'm really close to him" Peeta replied softly, his smile lingering. "He's going to be ridiculously excited I've brought you back, if only for academia. He always complains at me for going on about you too much."

"Really?" Katniss suddenly felt uncomfortable. She didn't want Mr Mellark to have traded so well with her because of his son's unexplainable infatuation with her – she wanted trade on her own merits, and her game was first class.

"Yeah, but don't worry, he knows you're not interested, I cleared that up." He shot her a sly smirk. "Even if you **did** ask me on a date..."

"Watch your tongue Mellark, I hardly hear you complaining." Katniss snapped, scowling as he clicked the bakery door open, laughing at her expression.

"And there's that scowl I've become so acquainted with" he chortled. "Dad, I'm home!"

"Peet, through here!" The two followed the call to the living room that they had done the research for the history project in. Mr Mellark was sat on one of the chairs, watching through the aftermath statistics of the interviews. As they entered, he stood, a taken back but very pleased look in his eyes. "Oh! I didn't know you'd have Katniss with you – hello!"

"Hey Mr Mellark" Katniss couldn't help but like the man. Anyone who was good to Prim was immediately in her good books. Plus, he was just naturally a warm, hard to resist man, with an easy going nature she'd found Peeta had inherited in spades. "I haven't traded with you in a while!"

"Ah, you know me, I prefer to leave front of house to the boys now. I much prefer kitchen duty" he replied with a smile that Katniss couldn't help but return. "But of course, I'm still enjoying the squirrels you're bringing in!"

"Even though I overcook them.." Peeta joked cheerfully, and Katniss snorted with laughter.

"Tell me about it. A waste of good game, that's what you are" she gave the boy a rare grin, and Mr Mellark gave his son a similar smile.

"I assume Filone is at the accountants?" Peeta asked his father, who nodded. "And Johnny?"

"Out with a girl, not unlike yourself!" The man replied, and both Katniss and Peeta blushed. Sensing that Katniss would much rather not have that conversation, Peeta quickly changed the topic.

"Right, come on, I'll show you the project seeing as you didn't trust me to get it done" he teased, darting off, and Katniss exclaimed her defences, chasing close after. With a small shake of his head, Mr Mellark shut the door behind them and settled back into his chair. Peeta and Katniss were in the room he shared with his siblings soon after, and Peeta rummaging through some papers he kept in a box concealed under his bed, hidden at the sides with blankets.

"How do you get all of this paper?" Katniss asked softly, sure no one in the district could afford it, apart from Haymitch. "It's so expensive..."

"I nick it from school.." he gave her a cheeky grin, pulling out a roll of off white paper, smoothing it out carefully. "Here we are..."

The way history was recorded at that time was based on the Hunger Games. There were BHG – Before Hunger Games, which listed the build up into the dark days, the war for land that formed Panem and the districts. Once the Capitol inevitably won the war and the Hunger Games implemented, each year was marked by the Hunger Games. So that present day, it was 74HG. The 74th Hunger Games. On the paper that Peeta presented her with, she saw the careful calligraphy that accompanied an elegant timeline, with gentle, precise sketches of more key events alongside. There was a perfect pencil drawing of Haymitch with a bottle next to 50HG, the year he won the quarter quell. With the first hunger games, he drew a small, shaking child wielding a knife for the first time. With the Dark Days, he drew a shadowy clearing, filled with smoky remains and nothing else. District 13 – it had been destroyed by the Capitol as their checkmate move.

"This is incredible Peeta.." Katniss looked up at him; he was so tall, she realised. He was a good half a food taller than her. "You're very talented."

"Thank you," he gave a small smile. "It's a nice pass time. I can only use pencils and I have to be really careful how many I get through or else school would get suspicious, but when I can it's really nice to just draw and not think about anything."

"I'm the same with hunting" she nodded in understanding. "Delly said your sketches are really good, didn't she? Can I see them?" Peeta looked uncomfortable for a moment, before nodding. Kneeling down next to the box again, he pulled a few papers out at random and nervously presented them to her.

"Don't be too upset at me..." masking his genuine nerves with a laugh, Peeta stood back up, sitting down on his bed. She sat next to him, unravelling them. He'd handed her three, the same off white paper as the project. On the first, there was a sketch of herself with Prim – it was the day she'd taken Prim with her and ended up arranging to go see the tribute parade. Prim had her hands firmly on her hips, a defiant, triumphant smirk on her little face, and Katniss herself was flushed in the face, a frustrated glare in her eyes and a scowl on her lips, with careful attention to the crease in her forehead, she noted. But her hair was drawn in its long, thick braid perfectly, flecks of hair breaking out and framing her face. Peeta had drawn her to look so radiant, so beautiful. Her heart hammered in her chest.

The next picture was one of a little girl with two braids, stood on a chair in front of lots of other little kids, who were all blurred out because there was only one focus in the picture. She had a little plaid dress on, a naive strength glowing in her eyes, and ribbons in her hair. At a second look, there were some shadows of birds falling across the picture. Somehow, Peeta had captured that they were completely still, despite it being a frozen frame. They could not have possibly been moving, they were enchanted, captivated, silent.

The final one he handed her was just an outline, uncompleted. A girl with kinked hair falling past her shoulders, but only her basic shape.

"I've not finished that one yet" he murmured quietly. "It's an ongoing project. I started it during my lunch break today, actually."

"Is this really how you see me?" Katniss asked, a quiet awe to her voice. He nodded, a shy smile on his face.

"I see you like this, because the girl in those pictures, so strong and so wonderful, that is who you are." Meeting her gaze, Peeta smiled fondly. "I wish you weren't so scared of love. I think maybe if you weren't... if we could attempt to hash out some idea of a relationship... I think I could make you happy. Because no one in this world could love you like I do, Katniss."

"How do you do it? Just say what you're feeling, put it all on the line?" She stared at him unsurely, and he brushed the back of his knuckles across her jawline, letting the tips of his fingers tucked under her chin.

"I've had eleven years of thinking up things to say to you, it's pretty hard not to blurt them all out at once" he chuckled softly, his face suddenly very close to hers. Somewhere in the back of Katniss' mind, she had a dull thought he might kiss her. And she wasn't opposed to it.

"I suppose... I..." She'd run out of questions, of doubts about him. He loved her, so utterly and completely and even if she couldn't understand it, she could accept it. Though she was unsure of herself, of how she could reciprocate, of how she'd figure out how to keep herself safe while being so vulnerable to him, in that moment, she decided she'd figure it out as she went.

So instead, she closed her eyes, moved her face forwards, and touched her lips to his.


	6. Sixty Seconds

**SO I REALLY THOUGHT THAT I WOULD NOT BE DOING AUTHORS NOTES AND YET HERE WE ARE. AGAIN.  
I'm a bit disgusted with myself but never mind. So anyway – another slow update. This week has been super busy/sad as my boyfriend took off to the other side of the world to 'find himself' as all gap year travellers do, for four whole months. I am a sad thing. Love is very inconvenient. I also got a shiney new computer and upon transferring all my files I lost all my Testament files and entered blind panic zones and then spend hours trying to find some hidden method to recovering them. I've regained chapters6-8 and my chapter by chapter plan, so hopefully I can rewrite as I go. But hey, if my boyfriend ain't here I have more time to write!**

**Anyway – I really don't know how I feel about this chapter. Some of the interactions get a little silly, which I can't decide if I like or not. Whatever, you decide. Also I've gone back and edited 1-5 - there are line breaks missing in them all and it finally bothers me enough to do something about it. None of the writing will change though so don't feel as though you need to reread them.**

**Once again – thank you to everyone who reviews! You never fail to brighten my day, make me smile, and forget that my stupid boyfriend is stupid. Seriously, not just in terms of seeing how this story goes it really does make me feel better about outside life 'n' all that.**

* * *

**The Trilogy: Testament  
Part one; A Spark.  
Chapter six; Sixty seconds**

* * *

The fingers Peeta had tucked under Katniss' chin now cupped her face softly, his thumb caressing her cheekbone. Her lips were still pressed to his and had her eyes screwed shut, her face creased in concentration as she forced all the confusion and affection which had built up the past week – it was just a week? – and pressed every second of it to his unbelievably soft, sweet tasting lips. Eventually pulling away, somewhat hesitantly, she glanced up at him unsurely.

"Was that okay?" Katniss' voice was painfully thin and unsure, and Peeta let out a strangled hum, pressing his forehead to hers.

"You have no idea Katniss" he whispered, before pulling her back desperately, crashing their mouths together. Lips overlapped each other hurriedly; his hand became knotted in her hair. Katniss lost track of all kind of time and awareness, all she knew in that moment was that Peeta Mellark was kissing her and it was building a kind of hunger in her stomach she'd never experienced before, and the purely instinctive, primal part of her couldn't get enough. He tasted like cinnamon and dough, and everything sweet and indulgent she'd never let herself have apart from when Prim wanted it. His teeth suddenly grazed her lower lip, and she let out a shuddering breath over his skin. Smiling into her mouth, he did not press when she pulled away, watching him with a frenzied, overcome stare. "What are you thinking about?"

"Um... I... I wasn't really thinking." Katniss laughed, a giddiness she'd never experienced bubbling in her chest and lifting her up. "I was just... that was my first kiss."

"Mine too, if it's any worth mentioning" he pressed his forehead against hers. "What happened to 'I can't, Prim let's leave'?"

"Don't make me think rationally or I might leave again" she replied weakly, pulling herself away and leaning against the wall.

"What do you mean? I would assume if you kissed me than you like me in some shape or form" Peeta all of a sudden had an incredibly heavy weight in his chest. "You're... you don't want this."

"Not in the way you're suggesting.." Panicking, Katniss reached forward, grabbing his hands. "I... I like you, I really do. Which is incredibly infuriating because this is the last thing in the world I should be thinking about. I should be thinking about..."

"Business" he cut in, taking his hands back. "You should be thinking about money and Prim and not about doing anything for yourself and not caring who you hurt when you do this."

"Peeta that's not what I mean.." Suddenly her throat was closing up and this overwhelming fear was attacking her senses. He was right, she hurt people. She hurt Gale that morning and now she was hurting Peeta. "This is just.. it's been a week, it's just been a _week_ since the reaping. I started realising that I had feelings for you _yesterday_..."

"So what, that's it? You're going to flirt with me at school out of nowhere, and then walk away saying you can't do this, then come back a few days later and ask to be friends, only to then ask me on a date, to kiss me, and then to back up again and say you're not ready for this?" Peeta jumped up, exasperated. "This isn't how you treat people Katniss! I need an answer, because I'm sick of you toying with me!"

"I'm not toying with you, not intentionally!" For the second time that day there were tears in her eyes and she was trying desperately hard not to cry. "Peeta please, I'm trying, I'm trying so hard to be there, to pay you back, to..."

"What?" The look on Peeta's face was of sheer disbelief, of utter heartbreak. "This is about paying me back? Is this just a sick way of paying me back for the bread? Oh, I'll just pretend to like him for a while, that'll do the trick!"

"No! No Peeta, it's not, please listen to me!" There were now streams of tears across her face, dripping onto her lap, where her fists lay tightly clasping the hem of her shirt. Looking across at her, Peeta's anger faded, and he sighed, gripping his hair. "I just... I can't say stuff, I'm really bad at saying things." Giving her a pained look, he had a shuddering realisation that it was very difficult to be angry with Katniss Everdeen.

"I'm sorry for getting so frustrated, just I've wanted this for so, impossibly long and now you're just..." Peeta rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I'm scared. A little bit. That this won't mean anything to you."

"It does, it really does." Finally meeting his gaze, he softened and sat back down next to her. Leaning back against the wall, he opened his arms and gestured for her to lie next to him. Unsurely, she did. His arms wrapped around her and suddenly she was leaning on his chest – it was hard, and warm, and he smelt of soap and cakes and male smells that were a little reminiscent of her father.

"Okay, I'm going to say a statement, and all you have to do is say real or not real. Then I'll get the answers I need and you don't have to talk much. Win win, deal?" His lips were next to her ear and his voice was low and cautious and suddenly she was very aware of how firm his chest was, and how well built he was. Mutely, she nodded, a few tears still leaking out. "So, you like me."

"Real" she mumbled, wanting to find somewhere to hide her face that wasn't a part of his anatomy.

"You don't want to like me."

"Real. My mother, she... I don't want to end up the way she did, so consumed by grief there was nothing left of her." Katniss looked down. With a smile, Peeta kissed the top of her head.

"You like Gale."

"Not real." Katniss scrunched her nose, and Peeta laughed lightly, tightening his embrace a little. "No, I could never summon up feelings for Gale, as much as he'd like it if I could." As Peeta digested his suspicions about his competition, he shook his head lightly, moving the topic to something a little more lighthearted.

"Your favourite bread is sourdough."

"Not real.." she turned to face him unsurely. "Cheesebuns. Or Nut and Raisin. I can never decide."

"I'll remember that," he replied with a smug smile, and Katniss rolled her eyes. "You want us to be in a relationship."

"I... I don't know the answer to that yet" she replied honestly, looking up at him unsurely. "If I was to be in a relationship with anyone, yes, it would be you. It's the relationship aspect I'm struggling with. Also how new all of this is, I mean, I had the big epiphany moment that I like you _this morning_. I've not digested it, I've not thought it through, and then suddenly we're kissing in your room and I just..." she shook her head, and detached herself from him. "It feels nice but I can't be wrapped up in you right now. I need to figure this out first."

"That's fine, really" Peeta followed her up, keeping a slight distance from her but sitting near enough to be intimate. "I understand, I just, I panicked, and I just want so much for you, for us. I want this to work."

"I think I do too." With a shy smile, she picked at her braid. "I just... need to figure it out."

"I get it, I get it. In the meantime, I'll perfect my cheese bun recipe." He grinned, leaning back again. "I've had nut and raisin down since I was... eleven?"

"Behave yourself."

Soon after they'd come to a close in the conversation. Katniss needed to get home and Peeta offered to walk her. The sun was now very low in the sky, and as it was late summer, it meant that it was getting pretty late. Pathways were still dusty from the dry conditions they always had in the summer and even though it was starting to move towards Autumn time, the trees weren't quite ready to shed its leaves and litter the walkways, even if they were beginning to crumble. Once they'd reached the incredibly modest seam allotment that was her home, they paused, as though hesitant.

"How does this work, exactly?" Peeta asked with an unsure, lopsided grin, and Katniss blinked in confusion. "Am I allowed to kiss you goodbye?"

"Oh, um, I hadn't thought of that" Katniss replied quietly, frowning. He laughed, lifting her braid between his fingers and rubbing along it slowly, tracing the pattern. Quietly, she watched him. His smile was glowing and his eyes were fond and warm; the way his hair was tousled by the late summer breeze blew strands of hair across his face. "Yeah, you can kiss me." He met her eyes with a smile, and then softly and so very sweetly moved his lips over hers. Neither pushed the kiss very far – they barely even touched, but it somehow felt so much more real than the other kisses to Katniss, neither fuelled by confusion or hunger, but by the affectionate gesture of just a kiss. It didn't last long, and as he pulled away he kissed her nose as well.

"I'll see you at school tomorrow" he beamed at her, and she couldn't help but smile and nod.

"See you tomorrow."

* * *

As he walked away, she scurried in through her door and let out a heavy breath she had no idea she had been holding. But now she was in her home. Her dark, familiar home and everything had gone well, she figured. Exceedingly well. Having Peeta didn't mean she had to get married or have kids, it would be something selfish she's allowed to have for herself for a while, a see-how-it-goes thing. Peeta understood she wasn't ready for anything big, they could build towards some hashed out version of a relationship as time went on, she was sure things wouldn't overcomplicate if they just played it safe.

Walking through to the main room – the only downstairs room, it was a sitting room stroke kitchen stroke dining room, with dark wooden walls and similar floors, and not many windows. It was small, and cramped, but Katniss didn't care, it was home. Her mother was sat at the table with Prim, and both looked uneasily at her as she came in with a smile and a blush. Her good mood faded.

"What?" She pottered about the kitchen, finding some bread to nibble on – sourdough. Absently, she wondered if Peeta had made it.

"Gale was here, about five seconds ago. He saw you come back through a window, muttered something really foul and darted out the back door." Her mother gave her a knowing look. "So, Katniss, anything you'd like to share?"

"... Gale saw that?" Katniss bit her lip. "I may need to talk to him. I'll catch up with him, be back later."

Pocketing the bread, she took for the door and jogged along the familiar route to the Hawthorne's house. It was well used – Rory and Prim used it often enough, before the mining accidents Gale's father and Katniss' father had been good friends, and naturally Gale and Katniss were always in and out of each other's homes. It wasn't anything more than a dirt trail that had formed from people walking along the same path in a grassy area, but it was a link for their homes. Soon enough, Katniss caught sight of Gale out of sight of both of their homes, and was very glad for it – this conversation was likely to turn into an argument and that's something none of their siblings needed to see.

"Gale! Gale wait up!" Worried that he'd ignore her call and continue his walk away, Katniss quickened her pace. To her surprise, Gale paused, turning to face her with a dispassionate blank face.

"Hey Catnip" he greeted smoothly. "How's your boyfriend?"

"He's not my boyfriend" she replied hotly. "Not yet, at least. We're figuring it out. And besides, my love life is none of your concern, it never has been. There's never been anything between us but friendship."

"Maybe for you, Catnip" Gale replied sadly, and his collected face cracked. "I've liked you for some time now."

"We're better as friends, more efficient as friends" Katniss insisted, genuinely sad that she couldn't return these feelings because as Peeta had said, by not selfishly picking an option and sticking with it, she was hurting people. "You'd hate it more if I wasn't clear with you. The indecision would be awful, you know. I'd panic and I'd tell you one thing one day and another the next. I'd be back and forth with you and I'd never quite give you a straight answer until you got so frustrated you just left me."

"How do you know you'd be like that? Or that I'd leave?" He replied, moving towards her and taking her hands in his. "Catnip, can't we at least try?"

"I can't, I can't do that to Peeta, and I can't do that to you." Scowling, she took her hands back. "I know you'd leave because you're Gale, and as loyal a friend you are, you're hot headed and you're impatient and you're just like me" she smiled weakly at him "which would be our undoing completely. As for knowing that I'd be like that, that's kind of how I've been this past week with Peeta. He got quite mad at me earlier. I deserved it, but we're working on it." Gale watched her for a moment, before sighing and running his fingers through his hair.

"You're serious about trying this with him aren't you?" He muttered softly, not really a question. She nodded. "Can I at least... I just..." Suddenly he was reaching out and cupping her face and pulling her towards him, and out of sheer inexperience and shock, she didn't push him away. But the moment his lips pushed against hers she jolted and shoved him. It felt so wrong, so disgusting to kiss someone else a mere hour after Peeta had kissed her. Not to mention the drive behind it, the motive for the kiss wasn't confusion over feelings, over hunger, over fondness – merely possessive and that came across to her far too clearly.

"Gale this is wrong, this is just wrong, I cannot believe you'd do that." Holding her head in her hands, she nearly screamed at him. "Why would you do this? I just told you I'm serious about whatever this is with Peeta and you kiss me? Really? It's not fair to put me in this position Gale!"

"I deserve a shot. I really do" he protested, and Katniss scowled.

"Well try again if I'm available. Not an hour after having my first kiss with someone else!" Spinning on her heel, she turned to flee, but he lurched forward and grabbed her wrist.

"Katniss, Katniss please. Okay, sure, that was wrong but I had to try, you surely understand" Gale pleaded, and she automatically relented because it was Gale and this week had been so hard to understand with him around.

"Can you accept that I'll probably be Peeta's girlfriend soon?" She asked, still turned away from him on the probable chance he couldn't. There was indeed a moment of spluttering and exaggerated, disbelieving sighs, before he relented.

"Yes." Nodding profusely, Gale moved in front of Katniss, his eyes wide, reaching for her arm and taking her bony wrist in his calloused hand. "I really mean it."

"You're sure?" Katniss gave him one last questioning look, and Gale gave her the most solemn, earnest nod he could muster.

"Your being in a relationship with Peeta, should it happen, will not deter our friendship" he stated gravely, closing his eyes once or twice as he processed the depth of what he was saying. "Nor will my feelings for you."

"… Thank you" she murmured softly, a look of fond appreciation passing between the two friends. "... In which case, I'll see you on Sunday. And tell Rory to meet me and Prim at the school gates tomorrow after school, I'll take him into the woods again. And I'll get him to bring over the sourdough you never got from the bakery with me." With a smirk, Katniss tugged her arm free, patted his cheek softly twice, and Gale nearly laughed.

"Sounds like an excellent plan Catnip. See you Sunday"

And with that they parted ways, Katniss avoided questions from her family, and retired to an early night. She was exhausted. Men were tiring; she finally understood why other girls complained about them so much. Also she'd cried a lot that day, very unlike her. All of this was coming to be very taxing.

* * *

The next morning, Katniss was up awake and alert at well before dawn, thanks to an early night and coming off a hunting morning the day before, her body clock seemed to function funny the first few days of the week. Regardless, she was awake, and took the opportunity to bathe in some cold water to energise a little more for the day ahead of her – hunting with Rory _and _fielding what was probably Delly's happiest face in the world would be exhausting in the same day. After scrubbing the coal out from under her nails and rinsing through her hair to get rid of any excess grime, she dressed comfortably in black trousers that were well fitting and belted, a plain grey t-shirt, and then braided her wet hair back to keep it from her face. Momentarily she considered leaving it down, but knew it would just annoy her. Padding her way downstairs, she started breakfast. She hadn't eaten dinner last night and only had the bread she scoffed – the stuff she had pocketed on her way to talk with Gale. Finding more sourdough, she sliced some up and slathered it in fruit preserves her mother made with the blackberries Katniss found in autumn. Usually it was used sparingly but soon there would be new ripe blackberries so she could restock. Maybe while they were still there, she could grab some late strawberries and mix them together. Throwing on some of the fresh goats cheese that Prim's goat, Lady, gave on a regular basis, it was a pretty good breakfast anywhere.

After setting up the same dish for her sister and laying it out on one of the less cracked plates, she started to brew some mint tea, and listened out for her sister's sleepy footfall – she always ate before she dressed. However, it was earlier than she thought, so Katniss found herself sipping tea leaning out of one of the few front windows, watching the workers march off to the mines, wondering if Gale was among them. She couldn't spot him, but it would make sense for him to be among them.

She watched the sun rising slowly and felt a certain apprehension about school. First two lessons were cancelled and everyone was to watch the opening of the games in the main school hall. It would be on the screen through everyone's lunch period, and then of course, everyone had to watch the highlights in the evenings at home. It was mandatory. Biting her lip, she wondered if Talon or Orchid would survive the first day. This year she felt so linked to them, so attached to the pair, without any real links of her own, other than Talon using her mother's services and Orchid having a family connection to her almost-boyfriend. It bothered her and nestled under her skin.

"Katniss?" It was the soft yawn of her sister that broke her out of her thoughts. Katniss smiled at Prim's bedraggled hair and red eyes.

"Morning Duckie – breakfast is all there for you." Katniss murmured, finishing her tea and taking some hair ties from the corner. Neither of them bothered to look after them properly, so they could be found all over the house. While Prim ate, Katniss smoothed her thin blonde hair and separated it, twisting it and plaiting it into two ropes either side of her face. By the time she was finished, Prim was sipping at her own little mug of tea. "Go get dressed, we'll have to set off soon."

"Yes'm!" Prim chirped in reply and bounced away with a merry thanks. With a sad smile, Katniss realised Prim hadn't quite clicked it was the Hunger Games opening today.

As they eventually set off, Prim dressed in her usual faded skirts and blouses, had sobered somewhat, holding Katniss' hand and squeezing it tightly, desperate for a conversation that wasn't morbid and frightful. The pathway was clear, not many people set off for school this early, but Katniss didn't want to bump into Peeta or Delly or Madge or anyone who would know even anything just yet, there was an odd nervous energy to the thought of seeing him that she wasn't all that happy about. The sky was clear, the air was warm, but starting to cool as the month pushed further on, and Autumn came closer.

"So Katniss," Prim smiled, grasping her hand a little tighter. Katniss scowled. "When are you going to tell me who you watched the interviews with?"

"Why? You clearly already know" Katniss retorted with a huff. "Is nothing private?"

"Is he your boyfriend?" Prim pressed, a gleeful smile lighting her face. "Does this mean we'll get cookies?"

"We're not together, we're... seeing how things go" Katniss corrected. "And no, it absolutely does not."

"Do you think when you get together..." Katniss ignored the 'when' "... we can watch them ice the cookies? They always look so pretty!"

"I'll... I'll ask Peeta. I think he frosts some of them" was the weary reply. There was a vague memory in the back of her head of Peeta saying he'd decorated a green one himself.

"Really? That would be amazing!" Prim's gushing and excitement filled steps lifted Katniss' mood – it was so easy to please Prim, really. She just liked pretty things, and nice people. It wasn't a high quota. "So... are you watching the opening with him?"

"I'm watching it with you" Katniss spun her sister about a little, getting her dizzy. Prim laughed and spun with her.

"Why don't we watch it together? I'll bring Rory and some of my friends, you bring Peeta and some of your friends, and we can have a little support party! Hannie is so sad about Thorn, they were always super close.."

"Hannie? You're friends with Thorn's sister?" Katniss exhaled slowly. This year was just too close for comfort.

"Yeah, she's in the class above me" Prim explained. "We sometimes do combined class projects, and we have the same lunch period.

"Well how about that" Katniss murmured. "Alright, group some of your friends, and I'll get Peeta and Madge. Delly'll probably come too, but that's just Delly. She's more background noise than anything." Prim giggled at the description, and soon they became surrounded by other students, filing slowly into school, grouped into squads of friends and loudly discussing the games. Madge appeared by their side soon enough, smiling kindly at Prim, and quietly accepting the support party invitation. Katniss wasn't sure why, but Madge always made a real effort to support families and friends of the tributes. It was always just assumed it was out of kindness, or of her position as the major's daughter.

In their peripheral vision, they saw a very loud bundle of blonde ringlets flying about the courtyards and searching for something or someone, and Katniss tensed. Prim, obliviously, darted off, stating she'd meet them inside with her friends near the front of the hall when people were escorted in. As Delly approached, like a shark weaving through waves, both Madge and Katniss glanced at each other uneasily. Katniss barely had time to mouth a 'sorry', when an explosion of bubbly energy appeared before them.

"You **like** him!" Delly announced, brandishing a pointed finger at Katniss and poked her squarely on the nose. "After a **week** your resolve disappears. Just a week! That has to be some kind of record. What did it, huh? What big cheesy line did the had-too-much-time-on-his-hands, sappy, Casonova, grade a vomit inducer sap use that cracked that big ol' heart of stone, huh?"

"I don't understand most of what you just said" Katniss replied, completely deadpan.

"I can't believe it! You're gonna be Peeta's girlfriend! This is so exciting, I need to dance, desperately" grabbing Madge's hands, Delly stared at her with an intensity that Katniss had never seen. "Madge, dance with me."

"Have you been drinking some of Ripper's white rum?" Madge asked in a highly concerned voice.

"Don't be silly, let's twirl!"

All Katniss heard of the pair for the rest of the walk to school was the affronted squeak of Madge, and the joyous song of Delly. As they reached the doors and Delly calmed herself, she announced she'd be delighted to watch the games with them – they hadn't asked – and that Peeta was already inside. Suddenly that nervous energy filled Katniss again, and Madge gave her a look.

"So," she opened calmly "you and Peeta?"

Katniss gave a half smile and a shrug. Madge smiled in return, nodding her 'I'm glad' nod, and that was all either of them needed to say on the matter. Delly dragged the pair inside, oblivious to the exchange, and began hunting through the hall for Peeta. The school hall was probably the largest building in the district, including the Justice Building, though it retained no sign of ever being pretty. It had a high ceiling, clear wooden floors and had stacks of tables for lunch hour at the sides of the room. Plain and economical. On the front wall was a huge screen purely for mandatory viewings during school hours, paid for and placed by the Capitol.

"Peeta!" Delly had spotted her pray. "Found yer girrrrrlfriend!"

"We've talked about this Delly" Peeta frowned, disappointed in her actions. "You've got to stop harassing people like this. It's not okay." He had been leant against a wall, clearly waiting for her to reappear, not all that enamoured with the idea of chasing her when she charged off with the good news.

"It's big news! He didn't even tell me, I could see it in his face" Delly chanted at Katniss, who was feeling a little ill. "He had the same look on his face that I had the first time I went to the slag heap with Gale Hawthorn."

",,, You went to the slag heap with Gale?" Katniss blinked, stunned. She'd known Gale was popular with girls, but hadn't processed the idea she might know one of them. "Wow, never knew. Hi, by the way."

"Hey" Peeta gave her a small smile. "Big day."

"Big news, turns out Prim is friends with Thorn's little sister, Hannie." Katniss raised an eyebrow. Peeta caught on quickly.

"Are we watching the match with your sister's friends, perhaps?" There was a twinkle in his eye that Katniss liked the look of. Delly watched the interaction with fascination from next to Madge, very close to documenting the situation. Madge glanced at her uneasily. "Okay, let's go find them before Madge murders Del."

"A good idea" Katniss laughed. Madge shuffled along uncomfortably, but warming considerably once they found Prim, who beamed at the fours arrival and started introducing a string of her friends. Katniss only really paid attention to Hannie, who she recognised in a heartbeat, and Rory, who was holding Prim's hand.

"And this is Tommy, and Anah, and Liesa, and..." As Prim babbled, Katniss realised her sister was the younger version of Delly. Personable, pretty and blonde. She had to stop this immediately.

"So Rory. Holding my little sister's hand." Katniss gave him a carefully executed smirk. "Are you sure you want to go hunting later? I'm very good with my archery I'm told."

"She is, it's true." Peeta shrugged. "Through the eye, every time."

"Katniss don't be mean. I can quack at school, I have no apprehensions." Prim stuck her tongue out spitefully, and Katniss rolled her eyes. Soon the rather large settlement of pre-teenagers and the much smaller settlement of actual teenagers sat uncomfortably on the floor, waiting for the screen countdown to start. Lights began to dim – also installed by the Capitol, they had such a flair for dramatics – and the screen turned white for a moment, the capitol seal proudly displayed.

Soon, a great expanse of green was shown. It was beautiful; a lush green meadow was fringed by an all encompassing forest, with a lake to the east. There was a section further to the north filled with a scary looking growth of something Katniss didn't recognise, but knew would be filled with food and medicine if you knew how to find it – regardless of untold dangers. Simultaneously, tributes began to appear, twenty four boys and girls stood in a semicircle, all the exact same distance from the great big golden horn in the center – the Cornucopia.

"There's Thorn..." Hannie whispered, and Katniss' eyes narrowed. Apparently capitol citizens had been making much more of a fuss over him since his little speech at the interviews. Prim held the girls hand, and Katniss felt a swell of pride in her sister.

"And Orchid" Delly followed, pointing out the impossible to miss dark haired beauty seven places to his left. The tributes were all dressed identically, with green shirts and dark trousers that looked easy to move in, with a dry leather jacket that Katniss deduced wouldn't retain heat, but would block the wind nicely enough. All the girls had their hair tied back in some way or another. Clove had hers in a practical, simple tie at the back. Glimmers were in childish, cute pigtails. Orchid's was in a tight bun atop her head with a braided edge – she'd adopted the practical look during the training centre days, from what Katniss had seen of the footage.

Then came the slow, agonising wait. There were weapons, food, medicine, backpacks, everything someone would need to survive comfortably in the wilderness stacked around the cornucopia. But it drew people into fighting, an inevitable bloodbath over the first pick of supplies – one that District 1, 2 and 4 always won.

There were sixty seconds until the gong went, until the mines that were so precariously placed by their pedestals were deactivated. Step off your platform early and you'd be blown apart. Some tributes who knew they were going to die regardless and wanted to get it over with early chose this as an option. They just leapt forward, no hope of survival. Hope it's quick.

Sixty seconds to make a plan and go with your gut. Sixty seconds to forget everything your mentor told you, and to go off sheer instinct. Sixty seconds until you could die at any moment.

The gong rang, and the screen buzzed into action.


	7. Let the Games Begin

**For full apology on lack of update see Chapter 8. Sob.**

* * *

**The Trilogy: Testament  
Part one; A Spark.  
Chapter seven; Let the Games begin.**

* * *

The only thought in his mind was to run. Every fibre of his being begged him not to, that Orchid was hiding out in the rims of the forest, struggling her way up a tree to hide out, that he could just meet her there and they could just find water and they could survive some other way, but he needed that weapon. With it, they had protection, they had a chance to kill game, all they needed was water and wits and maybe they could wait out most of the games in hiding. Ducking, Talon avoided a knife narrowly. It whistled past the top of his head and lunched into the heart of a girl he hadn't really noticed before. Without hesitation he continued. He just needed a knife. With a knife, he could whittle out some spears. He could kill enough to sustain two – he managed to sustain four at home with his parents and sister, so he could manage this much. Finally he found himself at a pile of weapons that hadn't really been noticed yet, so he grabbed at what he could find – a few knifes, some ropes, a backpack that seemed a little lumpy, and shoved the majority of his findings inside with the supplies already there which he could identify later – got to go got to go got to go – and he sprinted away, with one of the knifes in his hand and two others tucked in his belt. He'd been quick enough to evade most notice, but now the boy from one was lining up a spear to hit him with. Talon had watched him – Marvel? – in the centre, and knew he had a habit of throwing a little to the left, so he immediately sprinted right, jumping over a body with only one arm left, oozing sticky red blood across the grass. The smell burnt in his nose and clogged his throat, but he kept running. Had to get to Orchid. Had to get to water. Had to get **away from the clearing**.

Talon had been lucky. So lucky. And now he was stalking through the woods as silently as possible, tracing the steps that he figured Orchid would have taken. Where was she? Stupid girl got herself frightened and bolted, he was sure of it. Or maybe she'd been seen and had to take off. Or maybe... no – no – she definitely ran away from the bloodbath. Last night, before they... well, they'd talked. And she'd promised, and she'd gotten that look in her eye she always got when she hated to agree but knew she had to. So she definitely ran. He began to walk away, sensing it was pointless searching – it made much more sense to hunt down some water, hope she finds the same source, or just hope they'd cross each other eventually. Romances were popular in the games, particularly theirs, so the game makers were likely to prod them in the same directions. He was just worried about her not having any supplies, but Orchid had done well in learning about edible plants and such, so she'd hopefully hide out somewhere and graze. Knowing every moment would be documented, in a bid for sponsors to pity their temporary – he hoped – separation, he looked upwards, forcing his face into a concerned frown. He'd never been much of an actor, really. "I'll find you, Orchid" he made himself mutter, though he'd hate himself for it later if he was forced to watch it back. "Stay safe."

Orchid, on the other hand, was having a rather more eventful time. The boy from nine had come up to her with a knife, ready to kill 'The Spark' so if he died, he would go down in a blaze of glory. Orchid had been trying to clamber up a tree at the time, and having a tough time doing so. However, she'd seen his shadow approaching, and instantly switched to her full on nonchalant acting, pretending not to have noticed, and waited for him to close in. A long time ago, Talon's sister hit him in a very inappropriate place that had completely shattered his composure. Holding onto that memory, she went with her gut, spinning and crashing her knee upwards, praying it would hit its mark before he could cut her throat. He went down, she grabbed his knife and crashed the knife through his heart without a second breath. Spluttering for a moment, some blood splashed upwards messily, covering her hands which were still lodged around the handle of the knife, shaking perceivably. With slowly rolling eyes, he coughed, splattering her face and blinding her. Panicked, she flew back, drawing the knife and a stream of blood trailed with it. Coughing and crying big, pink tinged tears, she dropped the knife to the floor and rubbed at her face furiously to try and get the blood from her sinuses and eyes, but all she could see or smell was blood. Completely defenceless, she spat on her hands, trying to work up liquid and rinse her face enough to see. Once she at least retained her still pink vision, she grabbed the knife from the floor and tucked it into her belt, before fleeing desperately, the taste and smell of blood clouding her common sense, crashing through branches and leaves, not caring for the noise she made. She ran diagonally, moving downhill for water, but westward in the hope of bumping into Talon – she knew the woods were west from his home, so naturally in the woods that was his typical direction.

Suddenly she stumbled into something wet – she hadn't really seen because her vision was so clouded, and in a deluded frenzy, she thought it might be water. Washing herself in it eagerly, ready to rid herself of the blood of the first kill she'd made, it took her hours to realise she was washing in the blood of another tribute, a different tribute, who was still alive when she arrived, but now stone cold dead. Swallowing a scream, Orchid continued her search for water and for Talon, shakily muttering under her breath, choking on her own breath.

* * *

Prim had hidden her face in Katniss' torso not long into the proceedings, and Katniss continued to wordlessly rock her gently, hoping it would provide some kind of comfort to the terrified girl. Peeta looked anywhere but at the screen as it showed Orchid's discovery of the second tribute, running fresh blood over her face, relishing it.

"Surely it's been two periods by now" Delly murmured, latching onto Peeta's arm, and Peeta slowly shook his head.

"It won't matter how long we have to watch..." he replied softly. "It'll still be happening."

* * *

During lunch, when Delly brought two lunch tables together, none of the four spoke. They sat in uncomfortable silence, drinking in the sights the new games had brought. After sitting through two more periods of sentence structure after the mandatory watching finished, none of them were feeling all too happy. Madge sat next to Katniss and Delly sat next to Peeta, who sat opposite to Katniss. Occasionally, he would nudge her foot with his, an attempt to instigate some kind of distraction from the horror he'd seen his cousin live through. All Katniss could offer in return was a concerned, worried glance, and eventually he stopped. Vividly, all Katniss could think of was how cheerful and alive the world had seemed before the games started. Delly forcing Madge to dance, Prim bugging her with questions about Peeta... it felt so human, so normal, that her biggest fear that morning had been seeing Peeta. She felt naive and dumb.

"So what are your plans for the rest of the day?" Delly ventured, hoping for some kind of conversation flow.

"Work" Peeta replied grimly. "Followed by my mother cheerfully talking about Orchid's delirious state, and then mandatory viewing. Then I think I'll just go to bed."

"Katniss?" Delly moved onto what was hopefully a more cheerful topic.

"Killing wild animals so that my family can survive. Maybe some grammar homework." With a surly frown, she poked at her rabbit in sourdough bread sandwich halfheartedly. She didn't feel too hungry.

"I'm visiting Talon's family this evening" Madge announced in a cheerful tone. The three other table members looked at her in surprise. "See, there's this scheme my Dad does, not many people talk about it, but when someone's reaped, we go over and take as much food as we can. Make sure they're well provided for while they're struggling. Talon's little sister will eat really well tonight."

Katniss' spirits lifted, and Peeta afforded a small smile.

"That's really great to hear" Peeta responded softly. "Thanks Madge." With a shrug, the major's daughter sunk back into her inclusive silence, but spared Delly a soft smile, which was returned hesitantly. With brighter spirits, they set off for numeracy. Along the way, Peeta nudged Katniss' hand. She squeezed his fingers for a moment, before releasing them to sit with Madge.

-break

"Okay, let's work some more on your shooting" Katniss had Rory lift the bow and take aim at a tree they were using for training. It had naturally grown with loops in the bark that made it good target practice. "Now, raise your elbow... Shut one eye; that helps me sometimes." The boy followed her instructions exactly, but pulled the string a little too tight. Before Katniss could correct him, the arrow fell as the string snapped, a loud pop right next to Rory's ear. He yelped, startled, before dropping the bow and falling backwards. "Shit! Rory, are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. My ear's ringing a little but it'll calm down. I'm sorry about the bow..." He looked up at her apologetically, a disappointed frown, upset at his own actions. Katniss laughed.

"Don't worry, strings break all the time. I'll buy some more wire in the market tomorrow" she assured with a smile. "It'll be good as new. Come on, we can't shoot so you can work on your snares while I take down some squirrels, I promised your brother we'd get you some bread."

"For sure!" Rory was looking forward to his first trading, even if it was just the bakery they were focused on and not the hob. "Will we go to the hob soon?"

"Maybe not this week" Katniss frowned. "Busy weekend, and weekdays are never easy to get a good haul in. The weekend after this one we'll head down, promise."

"Sounds great!" Rory was so keen to help Gale it made Katniss' heart swell. She was glad her sister had found a relationship in Rory, even if they were only 12.

"You know, Prim's good with gathering and herbs. You two should start coming here together, doing your own rounds" Katniss gave him a smile. "I'm sure she'd like that, and she can teach you about gathering."

"I... Yeah, if you think so.." Rory blushed in a way Katniss was sure Gale never would, and she grinned.

"For sure. Just play nice, kiddo."

* * *

As they stopped by the bakery, squirrels in bags, Johnny was running front of house. Katniss hadn't seen him lately – Peeta did most of the front of house when he wasn't at school – so she was surprised to find herself genuinely pleased to see him.

"Afternoon Everdeen!" He greeted, giving a stoic nod. Realising he was just as sensitive about today's games as Peeta had been, she offered a firm smile in response.

"I've plenty of squirrel for you if you're interested" she said lightly, knowing Johnny in particular was weak for the white, lean meat. "Big haul. Rory here set some snares a little higher up than Gale usually did, caught a whole bunch."

"That sounds completely perfect" Johnny grinned widely, cracking his fingers in a wide berthed flex. "Hey, are the jokes my Dad makes at Peeta true? Are you guys dating?"

"Er, I guess" Katniss flushed and ducked her head down. "I didn't know this was such common knowledge... or even labelled."

"Hey, I'm freaking relieved, the dude needs a girlfriend. He's been moping after you for as long as I can remember!" He laughed a heavy, belly laugh, and Katniss shook her head with a smile. At his words, Peeta burst through from the kitchen with a trolley filled with various loafs that smelled _incredible_, presumably fresh from the oven. "Here's Romeo now, how ya doing squirt."

"Bite me" he glared at Johnny, before glancing over to Katniss with a pained look. "All afternoon, Johnny's been giving freaking ridiculous orders..."

"We're running low on a lot of loafs.." Johnny interrupted, but you could see by his grin that it was all a lie.

"So of course, I set about taking the pre prepared dough and getting them to rise, I've already got a stack of cookies the size of the slagheap to frost for this order the major put in..." he gave a knowing smile to Katniss who immediately brightened. "And I'm supposed to have Filone helping today but he had a 'wedding planning emergency' and bailed and it's been a fucking fantastic day."

"Gee, the only thing that could be worse is having overcooked squirrels." At Katniss' word, Rory began piling the kill onto the counter. "Seriously, don't let Peeta cook them. They'll be charcoal."

"I don't overcook them!" Peeta protested with a scowl, and Katniss raised an eyebrow. Johnny began howling with laugher, ruffling his brother's hair.

"I like her. She can stay" announced the elder, before he took to inspecting the squirrels. "There's no puncture wound."

"I didn't shoot them – these are the very first snared squirrels we've caught." Katniss slapped Rory on the back proudly. "We usually only get rabbits."

"It was placement rather than the snare itself..." Rory mumbled abashedly, and his mentor beamed regardless.

"Still all you! Gale would be very proud, now pick a loaf of bread to take of Peeta's hands. What's your favourite?" Glancing up at the trolley Peeta was wheeling, she grinned. "You have a wide variety to pick from, thanks to Johnny."

"Umm, do you have any of that really fluffy bread? It's white and soft and tasted really nice with the rabbit stew Prim made one time." Rory nearly analysed the floor he was staring at it so hard, and Peeta chuckled.

"And another brave man falls mercy to an Everdeen" he pretended to swoon. "Will the carnage ever end?"

"Keep talking like that, you bet it'll end" Katniss smirked at Peeta. Snickering, Johnny began to wrap the squirrels in some grease paper. Peeta pulled a mock sad face, before unloading some white bread from his trolley.

"So I'm guessing the bread you're talking about is the stuff we make from endosperm flour" he explained, taking out a few loaves and binding them. "That's the absolute middle of the grain of wheat – the finest, most powdery kind of flour. How many squirrels do you have?"

"Eight" Rory mumbled, glancing up, and Johnny pursed his lips.

"I'd say... three loaves. That'd be a fair trade?" He glanced at Peeta, who considered this and then nodded.

"Works for me." The youngest Mellark wrapped the three loaves separately in brown paper, and tied them up with string. Katniss took them from him with a smile.

"Alright Rory, you take these. I've plenty of Sourdough at home, and you did all the work anyway" she slipped the parcels into Gale's old game back, slung around Rory's shoulder.

"Really?" His face lit up. "Thanks Katniss! Gale's gonna be so jealous!" Rory hopped up onto his toes for a moment, and then fell back down to the balls of his feet. Katniss smiled.

"He should be getting off from the mines soon – come on, I'll walk you home." She turned to face the bakers. "Thanks guys, see you tomorrow Peeta!"

"See you Katniss" Peeta replied with a smile, watching the two leave. He shook his head slowly as they left.

"Whatcha thinking kiddo?" Johnny asked, prodding his shoulder incessantly. Peeta shrugged him off with an irritated frown, before looking back to the door Katniss had left through.

"Rory is old enough to be in the games" he replied softly, and Johnny frowned – the thought hadn't occurred to him. "He's twelve, and look at him – so alive and young, crushing on his childhood friend and wanting to impress his big brother, and he's old enough to be thrown into arena to fight to the death."

"Yep." With no better reply than that, Johnny shooed Peeta back into the kitchen, and they continued with their shifts.

* * *

Talon was getting dangerously thirsty, but he'd had plenty to drink that morning so he hoped that it wouldn't be too much of a hindrance just yet. He just couldn't seem to find Orchid. As more time went by without a trace of her, he became more and more convinced she hadn't made it and the thought made him want to be sick, but there was no way of knowing until they were either reunited, or the faces lit up in the sky. Strengthening his resolve, he plowed on, pushing his feet to keep moving until he found something – anything that he could take as a victory from today. Trying not to lick his drying lips was futile, but no matter how many times he dampened them they cracked up even courser, and were beginning to ooze a little blood from a thin cut to the left of his lower lip, a gleaming red ribbon of liquid beginning to trickle down his chin. He pressed his feet a little too hard into the ground, and found they sunk a little. Frowning, Talon bent down to inspect the soil. It was coated with pine needles that made it hard to track game, but easy to cover footfall. The ground underneath was squishy to the touch, and slightly damp.

Damp.

With the sudden realisation of imminent water, he quickened his pace, sniffing the air desperately for that tell tale wetness to the wind. Pushing through the uniform plants of the forest, he saw it. A river. Shallow, but existant. The slow rushing was almost musical. Drinking, regularly, he sat by the river edge, whittling out some spears from long, straight planks he snapped from trees around him. He set his weapon base up, disguised it in some greenery, and scuttled up a tree to wait out the night, and hopefully find Orchid from above. He'd eat in the morning.

* * *

Morning came. When Orchid awoke all she could see was green. Shifting slightly, the world rustled, and in her last moments before unconsciousness, Orchid realised she must have flung herself into a copse of some kind in the instinctual need to hide. Eventually shaking herself free of branches and vines, she sat upright, shivering in the dewy morning. The second day had arrived.

Her arms were still covered in blood that had formed a cracked, dry mask over her skin. If she wasn't so terrified of touching it, she could probably have peeled the worst of it off. It also clung to her clothes, sat in flakes in her hair, encased most of her face. Rolling out from the copse, it stung her nose with that ever pungent, coppery smell that refused to stop burning her sinuses. For a moment, she heaved, willing something to shift from the stomach that was churning and bubbling in protest of these sights and smells but nothing wanted to vacate her system, leaving her trembling and moaning in quiet agony. There was a hint of stomach acid burning in the back of her throat, and no way to alleviate it. The innards of her mouth were bone dry and felt almost sandy. Water. Talon. Was Talon alive? She paled. Without the wherewithal to think yesterday, she hadn't seen the faces in the sky. Although every part of her ached to return to the copse and sleep, she knew she needed to move.

Talon was smart. If he was still alive, he'd be near water. Deciding her previous path choice was the best, she continued westward and downhill, hoping that somehow she'd meet up with him in this vast, terrifying forest before she met anyone else.

"Well, look who we have here..." a taunting, light female voice caught her off guard. "It seems a little spark plug here took the name blood bath a little too seriously."

It was Glimmer.

The careers.

She was dead.

* * *

"So... you saw the games this morning?" Delly asked companionably as the four sat at their now regular table. "Talon found some water last night!" Murmuring in half hearted acknowledgement, Peeta nodded.

"Orchid survived the night too" he added, a strained grimace the closest to a smile he could manage while talking about them. Delly nodded eagerly, smiling, and Katniss sighed into her food, stealing one of Madge's strawberries. The screen in the back was turned down so low no one could hear it, so only those sat facing it were aware of what was happening. It currently showed the careers stalking though the forest; Glimmer, Marvel and Cato were all on the prowl. Clove was back at camp, guarding the supplies in the cornucopia. Madge was watching intently, hers and Katniss' side of the table facing the screen so Peeta could look away, when she tensed noticeably. Katniss' eyes flickered up instinctively, and then sharpened.

"Peeta.." she murmured weakly, and horror creeping into his features, he turned slowly, staring up at the screen in defeat.

"_Glimmer..."_ Orchid's voice was crackly and weak from lack of use. _"You're going to kill me."_

"_Yeah, I think I am" _smirked the blonde cheerily. _"You stole my sponsors. I was supposed to be the attractive girl this year." _The girl from District 1 slowly raised a glistening silver bow, knocking an arrow at the ready, aiming carefully. Katniss frowned.

"_Think of the sponsors we could get together, Glimmer"_ Orchid cut through desperately, approaching the voluptuous girl nervously. _"Really think, Glimmer. We're the pretty ones, the opposite ends of the same, very attractive stick. You have that stunning, sexy, conventional beauty, that definitely outclasses mine by far, and, and I'm obviously catching a lot of attention because I've got that individual quirky sort of prettiness that the Capitol aren't used to.. or something..."_

"Does Orchid really think that much of herself?" Delly muttered, eyebrows raising in disbelief.

"No. No, she's playing what Glimmer is telling her, manipulating her" Madge responded, nodding slowly, and Peeta hummed in agreement.

"She's bargaining for her life" he filled in, and Delly quietened.

"_You know, you're not that dumb for an inbred from 12, we __could__ pull some sponsors together" _Glimmer gave a half hearted shrug. _"Tell you what. You can live as long as you help us find your little boyfriend. He got Cato really spooked with that whole eleven thing, and when he dies you can die with him or something tragic and romantic like that. Happy?"_

"_It's the most I could hope for!" _Orchid simpered, moving towards the dangerous blonde. _"The star crossed lovers, dying together. Please just let me find him, please."_

"_I don't like you" _Glimmer replied with a snort. _"But I'm happy to let you watch each other die."_

"Glimmer won't win" Katniss announced with a shake of her head. The other three turned to look at her with quirked eyebrows. "Her bow. She took too long to raise it. The string is too tightly pulled. Her aim would be terrible. If that's her weapon of choice, she's got no chance against Clove and her knifes."

Silently, the four watched as Glimmer grabbed Orchid by her bloodstained shirt, and dragged her along to where the rest of the careers were camped; the cornucopia.


	8. Talon's First Kill

**Don't even say it, I know, the update gap is so late it's painful and I'm actually embarrassed. I have all the best excuses if you want them, they revolve around me breaking up with my fella, and we'd been planning on moving in together this September so there was a lot of emotional and financial things to deal with. Plus he's currently on the other side of the world and being particularly difficult to talk to so I've had to do most of this alone. Plus it's really hard to write the love and happiness scenes in this while completely and utterly heartbroken. Makes me want to vomit frankly.**

**But I'm very sorry, really. I've been a big poo face. Also – thank you so much for your lovely reviews and I'm so sorry I didn't reply, I've just found it difficult to even communicate with another human lately. I've done a bit of a Mrs Everdeen with everything. Thankfully I've had no children to support…**

**Also I'm not HAPPY with this chapter, especially the last section. I wanted to make it hazy and confusing and vague but it just ended up being bad I think. Ergh. I might end up redoing this part.**

* * *

**The Trilogy: Testament  
Part one; A Spark.**

**Chapter eight; Talon's first kill**

* * *

Prim made sure to disappear as soon as they arrived outside of the Everdeen house, darting into the front door after bouncing at Peeta and making him promise to walk home with them more often. As she left, Peeta could only attempt to hide a laugh.

"I think your sister is incredible" he grinned, and Katniss smiled.

"Good. Everyone should" she replied surely, and Peeta ruffled her loose hair. Returning to her scowl, Peeta laughed. "There's that frown. I was starting to think you might actually enjoy my company."

"Can't have you thinking that" Katniss smirked. Shaking his head, he cupped her face and kissed her forehead.

"I have to run, I'm supposed to take a shift this afternoon" frowning, he hugged her, but felt lighter when she wrapped her arms around his waist, returning the embrace cautiously. "But I wanted to see you for a while, apologise for being so... well..."

"Upset about your cousin being thrown into the games?" Katniss rolled her eyes. "Shut up. You'll be late for work, get going!"

"I just want a minute here. This is nice." Peeta smiled into her hair, feeling his heart swell. "It's not everyday that Katniss Everdeen hugs you."

"It must be your lucky day" she replied sarcastically, pulling back and looking up at him. "I'm not having your Mother hate me even more for making you late. Go! You shouldn't have walked us home, you..." he silenced her by pecking her lips with a quick, mind muddling kiss that left Katniss effectively silenced.

"I know, I'm going, goodbye!" Laughing at her stunned and annoyed expression, he jogged away, waving over his shoulder, and in frustration, Katniss realised she missed the warmth of his body wrapped around her. Growling to herself about how she doesn't need this touchy feely crap, she sauntered away to the woods, waving to Prim through the window she had been spying through. The snares still needed to be checked.

But after checking the snares and then dropping off a good ninety percent of the meat at the Hawthorns – Gale hadn't been there, which Katniss felt a little disappointed by, but she knew he worked late these days – when she arrived at her house some time after seven, she found a little brown bag by the front door. Inside were three cookies. One was pink, frosted with little white hearts. One was blue, covered with small purple flowers. One was green, decorated with tiny, intricate brown leaf patterns. Katniss couldn't help but grin when she read the note. _'One to apologise for my family, to Prim. One to suck up to your Mom. And one because you look really pretty with your hair down.'_

Maybe there was something to this touchy feely crap.

* * *

Talon was having it relatively easy. The river he'd found offered a far bit of concealment, and there were groves and spots around where he could conceal the spears he had been whittling away at, but his immediate supplies he kept strapped to his back. He hauled himself up a tree, which took far too much effort for his liking; he was nimble enough to get to where he needed to be, but he was out of practice. Keeping an eye on the sky, he grazed at some game he'd been lucky enough to catch – some fish from the river that he felt safe enough eating raw. The night wore on, and as he was getting tired enough to fall asleep, the capitol horns went off, and it was time for faces to light up the sky of all the fallen tributes. Back at home, they'd play a full replay of that tributes final moments, but here that might give away someone's advantage. But this time, there were no more deaths that day. People were keeping out of each other and avoiding conflict. Talon frowned, wondering how long these games would last. He had hoped they'd go quickly, spare his sister the difficulty of watching over a drawn out period of time.

Satisfied that Orchid had gotten through another day, Talon sighed, letting his head fall back against the tree trunk. Where was she? Surely she'd found water by now, so maybe he could track along the river further towards the north, where he'd seen her last on her pedestal.

But doing that now would be silly, Careers hunted at night. He settled down into the tree, and willed sleep to come. He just couldn't shake this awful feeling that Orchid was in danger – but eventually, he supposed, it was the Hunger Games. They were all in danger.

* * *

It was early Wednesday morning, and Peeta was nibbling at his breakfast noncommittally as he watched the games. He was hunched over his lap on a living room chair, a small plate with toasted stale bread and some leftover squirrel meet sandwiched between them. The reason for his enthrallment was of course, Orchid – she was currently in the company of the Careers, and had been through the night. Silently, he watched as she lay sleeping fitfully on a patch of grass, her ankles tied to the tree that was her only shelter – she was on the very edge of the clearing surrounding the lake, the careers close by at all times. As she awoke, they were slowly stacking their supplies in a large, obvious heap in the middle of the field, enticing morsels of food scattered here and there, as though bating a trap. The boy from District 3 was there – Orchid didn't know his name, but viewers at home knew it as Dimitri – and was fiddling about with a hole in the earth, muttering and grunting as he worked away at something.

Mrs Mellark walked in, holding a similar plate, and sat across the room from him. She raised an eyebrow at Orchid's predicament, but made no move to mention any kind of remorse for her niece. Peeta grit his teeth, but said nothing – his attention was soon captured by Marvel from District 1 sauntering over to the bloodstained girl.

"_You know..." _he grinned cockily _"you could wash that blood right off in the lake over there." _Orchid blinked, with a frown.

"_I could, if I wasn't tied up" _she replied slowly, as though talking to a slow child. _"Are you offering to help me?"_

"_In so many ways."_ Marvel came closer, towering over the crumbled girl. _"You can wash off in the lake – on the condition that... I get to clean you."_ Peeta inhaled heavily, wanting nothing more than to reach into the screen to punch Marvel squarely in the face. How could he be so crass? So disgusting as to pray on such a vulnerable, terrified girl. Mrs Mellark again watched impassively, and Peeta nearly hissed in frustration.

"_You mean, you get to rub your hands all over my naked body?" _Deflating into a corner, Orchid exhaled. _"Rain check."_

"_Okay District 12, here it is." _Marvel was clearly losing his patience, not used to being turned down. _"Either we go play nice in the water over there, or we'll still be playing – only__ it won't be in the water, and it won't be very nice."_

"_You're threatening to... rape me." _Orchid's face drained of what little colour it had, and Marvel bowed to her mockingly, striding away, telling her to think about it. Mrs Mellark made a dry comment that Peeta didn't really pick up, something about how the girl should realise how few her options are and just get it over with. At that thought, Peeta walked out from the room, muttering how he wanted to get to school early. Unconcerned by her son's abrupt leave, Mrs Mellark settled into her chair, watching Orchid cry quietly with her usual impassive, judgemental stare. Peeta left quickly, grabbing his well-worn black jacket and made sure his pencil was in his pocket before nodding a goodbye to a more sympathetic father.

"Take care son" Mr Mellark gave a sad smile, and Peeta returned it weakly. "Say hello to Katniss for us."

"Will do. See you at quarter past" the youngest Mellark replied dully, and shut the door tightly behind him. He was incredibly early – he'd get to school quarter of an hour early at this rate, so he took it slow, almost wandering across the paths he'd normally take at a brisk pace. Never really one to amble, he found himself relaxing into the scenery of the District. It was minimalist and quaint, with black dust on the footpaths and manmade structures were few and far between. Weeds and plant life coated a good number of buildings, twisting around structures and gave a rustic, village ambiance to the place. Peeta liked District 12. To an extent, he was content with his life – he knew that once Johnny took over the bakery he wouldn't really have a business to fall back on, but Johnny wouldn't have children to help in the bakery immediately, so he'd definitely have a job until Johnny had a few sons that were strong enough. After that, Peeta wasn't sure. He was contemplating working in the school, maybe teaching. It was something many merchant children beaten out the business turned to. Plus, there was a small part of him that figured he'd be good at it.

The school was drawing closer – the greying, hulking structure and the barren grounds around it – and Peeta exhaled a breath he hadn't been sure he was holding. Away from his mother, and around Katniss, for the day. It was becoming one of his favourite things. Figuring he was much earlier than normal he presumed he'd be alone, but Peeta spotted Madge sat at a bench further ahead, without much to do but root through her lunch for the day and pick at some of the last strawberries she had for the season sparingly.

"Madge!" Peeta smiled, jogging over to the girl briskly, and the Mayor's daughter looked up sharply, before relaxing her face a little.

"Hello Peeta" she greeted him softly, standing briefly until he arrived, so that they could sit together. "How are you this morning?"

"A little shaken by the games, but doing alright" he replied honestly. "How are you? I noticed you spend a lot of time with Delly lately."

"Well since someone stole Katniss from me during school hours..." Madge gave him an amused glance and he flushed, laughing a little. "Yeah, Delly's nice. Not what I thought she'd be like."

"How do you mean?" Peeta frowned a little, and Madge shrugged.

"I guess I always presumed she was this boisterous, gossipy entity that I would never get on well with, but she's..." the girl quietened a little. "She's a lot more than that."

"She is. Delly is one of the most warm hearted people I know, she sees the good in everyone." Peeta smiled fondly of his best friend, and Madge nodded in fervent agreement, pink rising to her cheeks. Before Peeta could question her any further, more people began flocking into the grounds, Delly herself included. The blonde bombshell seemed to spot them from miles away, darting through the crowds like a bullet. "She's also unstoppable" Peeta grinned, and Madge laughed lightly. Soon, Delly stood before them in her full ringlets and big smile glory, blabbering on about how Marvel is an awful person and Talon is doing so well and isn't little Rue sweet, if not a little weird, and how Thresh is so strong, and Madge couldn't help but grin.

As tutorial came around, the three filed into the school, through the corridor, into the classroom. They took their seats routinely – Madge and Delly, Peeta waiting on Katniss. He frowned a little, leaning back on his chair to get a look at the door. It wasn't like her to be late. The classroom itself was on the drab side – it had wooden floors and bare walls with white paint slowly peeling away. The desks were simple wooden tables, graffiti coated and uneven, so they wobbled a little if someone leaned on one too hard. The wall next to the door had little cubbies in which people put their belongings, their lunch, their coat, or their school work at the end of the day. Katniss was the only one missing. Peeta frowned – she had a penchant for skipping class, usually she did it to go hunt if supplies were low and she was getting stressed - but she'd not seemed all that without lately, despite losing her hunting partner.

Tutorial ticked by – they were given a sheet of paper each and that was to have all of their notes for the day. That much paper was all the school could afford – Peeta often tried to fit two days worth of notes onto one sheet so he could keep the paper. Then, they were asked if anyone had run out of their pencil lead, and today no one had. They were to wait for their maths teacher next, and a good twenty minutes late, Katniss burst in when there was no teacher to watch her be late. Her face was pink like she'd been running, and her braid was messy and loose. Peeta brightened just at the sight of her. She quickly dumped her lunch and jacket into her cubby, grabbed some of her old notes to reuse the paper, and took her place next to Peeta, all in about ten seconds.

"Morning Kat. I think you just set the land speed record" Peeta muttered, tugging her braid, and she batted his hand away, rolling her eyes.

"Stupid Prim got me all involved in the games and we got so caught up we lost track of time" she explained in a heavy breath. "We had to run all the way here."

"What's the latest?" Peeta was no longer grinning, remembering Marvel's sick conversation with Orchid. She frowned.

"They've got her on a leash or something, some rope around her wrists, and the District 2 girl, Clove, is questioning her as to where Talon is. They keep laughing when she asks if she can be cleaned off in privacy" Katniss scowled. "They think it's funny. Anyway, last I saw they were tracking down the river to try and find him – Marvel, Glimmer and Clove. Cato stayed behind with the boy from District 3, Daniel? Or Dimitri? Anyway, he wanted to keep an eye on him."

"That's horrible" Peeta shuddered. "God, I really hate Marvel."

"We all do" Katniss squeezed his hand. Their Math teacher, Mr Khanna, was not the teacher who walked through the door, but their history teacher Mr Barden. Peeta frowned, glancing at Katniss who shrugged.

"Class, good morning" Mr Barden greeted hurriedly, still holding onto the door latch to get out quickly. Mr Barden was old, by District 12 standards. His hair was just starting to grey around the edges, but was predominantly blonde, and signs of laughter lines and wrinkles were just beginning to appear. He was tall, slender, and had a habit of slamming his fist on a desk when he got tired of the students zoning out and not listening to him. "I know I'm not your scheduled teacher, and I won't be long – I just wanted to remind you all that this Friday is our annual mines trip, to take a closer look at District 12's history today!" He tried to brighten his voice to be as enthusiastic as possible, but it died towards the end and just sounded sarcastic. Katniss felt a chill run through her spine, and Peeta squeezed her knee, feeling the change in her mood. "Make sure you have a partner by Friday – I'll meet you outside the West Entrance at a bright and early time of six in the morning! That's when the miners start their day." No one in the classroom said anything – the trip the mines was always the second worst day of the year for them. The reminder that if they didn't get reaped, their businesses sorted, their lives in order in time, they'd be trapped down underground where at any given moment something could go wrong, and they'd die down there. For most of them, it was inevitable.

Mr Barden left, and Peeta glanced at Katniss who trembled a little.

"You alright?" He murmured, rubbing her fingers between his. She shrugged.

"Mines. Remind me of how Dad died." That was all she said until lunch hour commenced, regardless of the gentle brushes Peeta would make on her arm, the low hum he would give to try and calm her like he did during Rue's interview, the gentle squeeze he gave her knee. She wouldn't even look up at him.

Time went past, and Peeta was getting desperate. Lunch would end soon, and Delly was starting to notice the ignored efforts he was putting in to get Katniss' attention. As though to consolidate this, Katniss stood, throwing the wrappings she'd used for her lunch into a little bag, ready to be washed and reused. Clearing her throat in a final sort of way, she told them she'd be skipping the last two classes, and made for the back door out of the school. Delly sent him a confused, quietly concerned glance, and Peeta sighed, standing quickly and jogging after her, calling her name as he went. He left his lunch uneaten, soon to be swiped by a young boy from the seam. Peeta pretended not to notice that the boy looked like he hadn't eaten in weeks.

* * *

"Well, where would he have gone?" Clove demanded, pressing her food down onto Orchid's chest. Orchid spluttered, feeling the pressure on her ribs a little too much.

"I don't know, I haven't seen him since the bloodbath" Orchid stated her reply as calmly as she could, but Clove pressed down harder – the smaller girl began to panic, thinking her ribs were about to break.

"If you were trying to find him, where would you look?" The knife throwing girl was spitting in her face, and Orchid trembled.

"He's smart, he'll have water by now and stay close to it" she breathed. "He tends to go east, just naturally."

"She's lying." Cato called over, smirking. He was lying lazily under a tree, crunching through an apple from a burlap sack near the top of the pyramid of supplies. "He's probably found water or else he'd have died from dehydration by now, and if she's saying east he's probably gone west. Besides, to the east all that's there is those wheat fields, and they look dodgy, right?"

"There's that river off the lake" Glimmer pointed out, the gush of water headed to the west was unmistakable. "He's probably somewhere down there."

"Alright then, let's head down." Clove gave Cato a glance, and he nodded quickly at her. With a half smile and a quirked eyebrow, she raised her chin slightly, and Cato gave a deft smirk in response. "Marvel, Glimmer. You're with me. Cato can stay here and babysit District 3." Glimmer scowled at the authority Cato had apparently bestowed upon Clove, but did not question it, nodding mutely instead. "Marvel, go untie it and bring it along. We want some bait."

"Yes ma'am" Marvel seethed sarcastically, clenching and unclenching his fists as he attempted to sooth some of the fury in his head, begging him to take a spear and use it as a pike for the District 2 tribute's heads. Instead, he used them to untie the binds around Orchid's ankle and moved them to her wrist and around her waist, and then loosening and pulling free the rest of the rope from the tree she had been bound to. "Come on baby face, you're coming with me." Pulling her to her feet by her hair, Marvel only rolled his eyes as she whined in pain. "I guess we'll have to postpone our playtime, huh?"

"Stop playing around" Clove barked, and Marvel jumped around quickly. "The sooner we find him, the sooner we're rid of this rat."

They marched along, Clove in the back to keep an eye on them, Orchid in front of her, being dragged slightly by the rope held by Marvel. Glimmer lead the way, being the most experienced in navigation of the three careers, as she tracked the river west and stopped occasionally to check the mud at the banks for any footprints. The river was fresh water, and occasionally you could see silvery fish dart along it, downstream towards the pond located further to the south. This was there they suspected Talon would have made camp; they'd effectively mapped out the majority of the arena through Glimmers skill. She'd been quick to brag that had been how she achieved her nine in training, and this puzzled Orchid; mapping was never a highly rated skill with the Gamemakers, who usually reserved the higher scores for combat skill. However, this did not cause Orchid to underestimate Glimmer. She was brighter than her looks would suggest, and knew she had skill for archery – not perfect skill, but skill nonetheless. Clove muttered stark orders to them occasionally, telling Marvel to tighten Orchid's ropes, or asking Glimmer just how much further she expected it would be. Glimmer's response was always the same.

"Soon, Clove" Glimmer sighed airily, glancing towards a marking near the bank close to them, before dismissing it as an animal. "The arena isn't small. It's supposed to take some time."

"I don't want to hang about all day, I want to be back at camp before nightfall." Clove continued, and Marvel let out a low hiss.

"So you can snuggle up to your boyfriend and have him read you a bed time story?" He scoffed, and Clove gave him a sickening smile.

"Please. We all know there's only one winner here. I want to be back at camp, because my sponsors sent me a beautiful knife that would be perfect for your genitals." Marvel let out a strangled hum, and Glimmer laughed brightly. There was silence intermittently, and land as crossed. Glimmer mentioned lightly at one point that the river had begun to widen slightly, and the ground beneath them became coated with a thick layer of pine needles. The further they walked, the hazier Orchid's panic became. Talon was strong, yes, but she knew he couldn't outclass three careers, all with different skills. It was so difficult to try and formulate an escape from the careers regardless, and Orchid had the great disadvantage of minimal sense. Her sinuses remained full of dried blood – she wasn't sure if she was imagining it or not – and her skin was still coated in the cracked red stains of her encounters with death. Every thought she had was tinted with a maddening, overbearing desire to rid herself of all the blood in her body.

"Do you guys smell something?" Clove's nose twitched, and Glimmer stopped dead for a moment, inhaling slowly and thoughtfully. A moment of complete silence passed.

"Whatever it is, I don't think it's poisonous" the blonde replied confidently, before striding forwards purposefully. "Worst case, if it is, we'll notice the effects slowly and can get out of here before there's too much damage. It's a pretty weak smell right now, I imagine it's some big plant spraying pollen further ahead."

"I'm with Glimmer on this, she's not been wrong with the arena yet" Marvel shrugged, following after her and dragging Orchid with him. Clove scowled, paused again, before lifting her over shirt over her face, baring a white camisole that fit her athletic figure snugly. She knotted it over her nose and mouth, before carrying on after them. Orchid frowned. She wondered what it smelt like to them. Maybe they could smell the blood too.

They continued on a little further; the river seemed to be the only sound in the entire forest now that the pines quietened their footfall. Occasionally, a mockingjay chirped a bright, four note melody, but none of them paid much mind. The smell worsened, but whenever either Glimmer or Marvel had a doubt, the other was quick to subdue it. It would have had an effect by now, surely. We'd feel nauseous and sick by now, surely. After another long period of silence, a quiet choking sounded in the distance, just behind a tree up ahead, accompanied by a loud rustle of leaves and a dull thud.

Clove led the charge. Her slight, graceful figure cut through the greenery and her knife found the throat of the unsuspecting girl without much delay. District 8, what was her name? She had dirt brown hair, matted with mud, her skin caked with pond lilies. She had been camouflaged by the river up until recently, Clove thought quickly, she must have tried to escape from this gas, believing it was poison. This girl, whoever she was, was convulsing, foam bubbling from her mouth, her eyes rolled back into her head. Glimmer and Marvel appeared either side of her. Orchid tumbled, the force of Marvel's pull on the rope sending her straight to the floor, where she landed with a second dull thud.

"She only just fell" Clove began to grin. "Still very much alive. Target practice anyone?" Orchid's eyes found the dying girl and began to flood with tears, sniffling and whimpering. "Marvel, shut it up." A foot collided with the back of Orchid's head, and black circled began to swim about her vision. What happened next was a blur for her – a knife was thrown at the poisoned girl's throat and lodged there, a small fountain of blood bubbling over her skin. Marvel paused the two delighted girls from attacking with anything else, instead dipping his fingers into the crimson flow, letting it embed in his skin, before returning close to Orchid's face. Suddenly there was more pain – he'd lifted her upright by her hair, and slammed her into a nearby tree – and shoved blood soaked flesh into her mouth, forcing it to the back of her throat. She screeched around his fingers, sobbing openly and flailing wildly. With a small, sadistic smile, he quirked an eyebrow at the unstable girl.

"I said we'd get to play later." He whispered darkly, watching gleefully as she writhed about his hand.

Ugh, you're sick Marvel" Glimmer moaned indifferently, folding her arms impatiently.

"I prefer to call myself a showman. Surely you've noticed how all this blood is affecting her." Marvel's grin widened. "Just another trauma in a list to come before I stick my spear through her. I bet they're eating this up back home."

"Your spear? Or your _spear?_" Clove scoffed. "Tighten its leash and let's get a move on. The thing down there is dead and it pissed all over itself, it's getting gross." Almost hesitantly, Marvel did as he was asked; securing the ropes around Orchid's wrist didn't take long as she was mostly unresponsive. It was somewhat gothic and sublime as they walked away – the moment they had moved away from the body and past a few bushes, a mockingjay cried, a ship appeared, and the body was gone.

* * *

"Peeta? What are you doing here?" Mrs Everdeen frowned deeply at the sight of the merchant boy. While she was aware of her daughter's school skipping tendencies, she'd hoped Peeta would instil some kind of respect for education in Katniss. She was somewhat surprised by him – Peeta looked troubled and out of breath, pink tinges flaring along his cheekbones. "Is something wrong?"

"Is Katniss around? She took off during lunch and she's pretty upset from what I could tell" he coughed a little as he spoke – he'd sprinted the trip from school to the Seam in twenty minutes, which would wear out anyone. Mrs Everdeen's face softened.

"No, she probably went to the woods" Evelyn replied with a sad sort of smile. "Come in for some tea? I doubt you'll be able to find her by now. You can wait here for her to come back, she'll want to see Prim soon enough."

"Thank you, Mrs Everdeen" Peeta exhaled slowly, feeling a sudden nervous energy in his ribs. He was having tea with Katniss' mother. Alone. Evelyn took a step backwards so he could come through, into the dark, threadbare building that was their home. He took a seat on a stool by the cooking area, next to a little counter/table. Evelyn joined him once adding the mint leaves to the water and putting it over the makeshift stove.

"So why was she upset?" Evelyn asked quietly, leaning on her hand, and Peeta grimaced.

"We have the annual class trip to the mines on Friday. I imagine that would be why" he replied evenly. "The only thing that she mentioned about it all day was that it reminds her of how her father died." There was a flash of pain through Evelyn's eyes, and her fists tightened.

"You'd be wise not to mention her father around here" she murmured, not unkindly. "It will always be a raw wound in this home."

"I didn't mean to…" the baker bit his lip. "I'm sorry."

"It's quite alright" Evelyn gave him a cautious smile. "Why don't we see what's going on with the games, I'm sure you're worried about Orchid."

"I am, thank you" Peeta's focus quickly shifted. "Have you heard anything today?"

"Not since the girls left this morning" she replied with a sad smile, standing to flick the beat up little projector into life. The kettle started whistling, so Peeta jumped up to make himself helpful, straining the tea into two little chipped mugs and handing one to his girlfriend's mother. She gave him a thankful smile, and the two settled onto the small, beaten old couch that Evelyn dully remembered her late husband would fall asleep on during his day off from the mines, after he returned from the woods with Katniss. The girls had never really noticed his exhaustion, or the pain he went through to keep them happy.

As the screen flickered awake, they were immediately greeted by Rue's unsure face, as she hovered over Talon's camp. She watched as he hurriedly packed what belongings he had, strapping some spears together and tying a few intricate knots so that he could carry them about without much hassle. Peeta frowned.

"Why is he so eager to leave?" Peeta wondered aloud, and Evelyn shrugged.

"He may have realised how easy he is to find. The careers and Orchid won't be far from him now" she replied softly. Peeta hissed through his teeth. It didn't take Talon long to organise his belongings, and clearly he wasn't worried about someone knowing that this had previously been his camp as he left plenty of signs of life behind him – skin from game that he had caught, the lingering embers of a campfire, discarded wood shavings from his crafting of the spears. Minutes after he'd left, the Careers came stumbling into view, coughing and hacking a little, but otherwise strong and fit. They quickly spotted Rue, and Glimmer crowed at the sight of her, cocking an arrow and letting it soar through the air, just missing her disappearing form. She danced from tree to tree effortlessly, and then the careers made their fatal mistake.

* * *

"God, this SMELL" Marvel spat, bitterly regretting following Glimmer's instruction. Said blonde huffed angrily.

"It's not poisonous, just pungent" she gave him a daring glare, and Marvel rolled his eyes. Orchid blinked, confused. What was this smell they kept talking about? No matter how strong they claimed it was, she couldn't smell a thing. While her mind was addled, she was clearheaded enough for that moment to formulate a plan. This camp was clearly Talon's – she saw the shavings that he always left from whittling down his spears, and there was expertly skinned leftovers of game. The fire was still burning a little, which meant he'd left in a hurry, and quite recently. The careers were so wrapped up in catching Rue, and this smell distracting them, that this was her best hope. Remembering how she had killed her first victim in this arena, Orchid breathed in once, and out again.

Swiftly, she lifted her knee, hit Marvel in his groin, and shoved him into the river, before sprinting.

She heard vague confused yells behind her. Clove begins to panic about the smell and grabs a slowly deteriorating Glimmer from her stupor – the two run north to return to their camp. The smell is poisonous. The smell was manifesting in their minds, meddling with their common sense. That's why Marvel fed Orchid blood. That's why Glimmer was so certain the smell was fine. That's why Clove ignored her suspicions about the gas and carried on with them. Orchid would have put money on the young girl they finished off eating something lethal before they found her, and that being why Talon did not clear his camp before began to doubt herself – maybe running had been an addled common sense's idea. Maybe the blood – maybe it was a hallucination.

But no, it wasn't.

Sprinting as best she could with the ropes binging her arms to her waist, she screamed. Marvel was close, she could practically sense the air he breathed around her neck. He couldn't catch her. It would be the worst way to die. He would make sure of it.

A hand grabbed her matted hair, pulled her back, and she prepared to die, falling to the floor and crashing into the mud. It was cool, soothing, it hid the blood from view. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to concentrate on that over everything else.

It was indeed Marvel, panting heavily with a twist of a smile on his narrow face. He knotted her hair around his stained red fingers, laughing breathlessly.

"Finally" he hissed, dragging a hand across her chest sloppily, tearing at the over shirt that was still splattered with red. Whimpering, Orchid began to sob noisily, refusing to open her eyes into his face. "Finally."

"Finally indeed" a familiar voice snarled, and suddenly Marvel was screaming, frozen in place. Orchid felt something sharp scratch at her stomach. She couldn't open her eyes, or move. Something warm began to seep over her stomach, and more blood stained her skin. But it was Marvel's.

He was dying.

The weight of his body suddenly disappeared, and a dull thud sounded as he was tossed aside. Slowly, Orchid opened her eyes.

Talon hovered over her, a crazed panic in his eyes.

"You're okay" he murmured, his face softening. Orchid blinked away her tears.

"You're okay," she mirrored, a small smile twitching at her lips. He stood, helping her stand also, and then held her for as long as he deemed safe. She fit into his arms just the same, that petite, tall frame which fit snugly into his chest. Orchid's head was heavy on his shoulder as she trembled, and he tightened his grip.

"They won't hurt you again, Orchid. They won't come anywhere close to you. I will kill anyone that might stop you from being okay" Talon's voice was even, clear, and calculated. Orchid almost feared him. "You will be safe."


	9. Carers

**Hellooo. Trying to rebuild life again. Hopefully I can include updating more in that plan. Apologies for the ridiculous delay. I'm going to come clean with you all – I suffer from Manic Depression, and to some extent, Bipolar and OCD, and I've been in the middle of a massive breakdown these past few weeks, and the months before it have been building up to it, and in general, I'm very much struggling. It's been hard, but there were some positive reviews that made me kick myself into getting back behind the computer and do some editing. So hopefully, I can sustain this a little better. I'm really sorry everyone. I'm just not at my peak. Every kind word has helped so much. I love you all. This chapter is a little short because I just wanted to post something, but I'll hopefully get more up soon. Sorry again :( I'll do a super long chapter ten!**

* * *

**The Trilogy: Testament  
Part one; A Spark.  
****Chapter nine; Carers**

* * *

It didn't take long for Orchid to be hauled away. Talon took little time in realising how little nutrition and liquid she'd had in the past few days, and instead of having her walk, he lifted her onto his back, with her arms draped loosely around his neck, her head on his shoulder, and his hands keeping her legs fastened around his waist. Though Orchid was breathing slowly, unresponsive with her eyes softly closed, Talon knew she was awake purely from the speed of her heart. It fluttered dully against his back with a rapid beat, and occasionally he would panic that there had been a murmur. But still, he saw little point in stopping, there was nothing he knew that would calm it. The safest bet at the moment was shelter and rest. Once or twice he would tilt his face, find her cheek with his lips, and breathe out softly, relishing in simply having her in his arms again.

They journeyed on, trekking through what seemed like uniform forest to the untrained eye, but Talon had begun mapping the arena in his mind – the river led from the lake at the cornucopia, downstream led to the pond, and weaved through a rocky area, with caves and caverns with some good concealment. Either weaker tributes would be there, easy to take out, or there would be safe sleeping places for them for the time being there. Away from the smell – that was Talon's one focus.

Eventually, they reached a small enclosure, surrounded by heavy greenery and rock fall. The river was loud here, almost rapid, and gave good sound cover to hide any noise they may accidentally make from other tributes, and it was easy enough to conceal themselves in one of the cave like structures if Talon shoved a few boulders around. First, though, he settled his jacket on the cave floor, before laying Orchid along it, where she quickly drifted away into a fitful sleep. Talon did what he could, hauling boulders and gathering safe berries from the convenient bushes close by. If he noticed Rue hovering up in the trees above them, he did not make it apparent

* * *

The first sign Peeta heard of Katniss' approach of her home was some loud, vulgar words to what he imagined was the family cat, before the front door swung open and a pair of very worn, leather boots flew through the door, caked in dry mud.

"Prim?" Katniss called, her voice almost strangled as she dropped a bag teaming with things that smelt very freshly dead, stomping through the entrance and stopping dead at the sight of Peeta and Mrs Everdeen sat side by side, drinking mint tea and discussing the games.

"I'm so glad they're reunited" Mrs Everdeen remarked dryly to Peeta, who nodded his agreement.

"Peeta?" Katniss' voice nearly wavered. "What are you doing here? How… how long have you been here?"

"I skipped last two periods. Normally I'd be worried about missing seeing you in class, but I didn't think you'd be there either." He made his response without removing his gaze from the projector, but stood, eventually turning around. "Hey."

"Hey" she muttered gruffly. "So… I'm guessing you're here to yell at me."

"A little" Peeta shrugged. "Do you want to go for a walk?"

"This is gonna suck" Katniss seethed, before grabbing at her discarded shoes and ramming them back onto her feet. "Isn't it?"

"Doesn't have to" he replied quietly, and she clenched her teeth, breathing through them slowly. After thanking Katniss' mother, Peeta took the mugs which had held their tea and moved them to the kitchen area, before placing his own shoes carefully on his feet and leading the way out of the small home. Katniss followed, her face twisted in a mixture of frustration and anxiety. They stepped out onto the familiar dusty pathway they normally took, Peeta scuffing his feet slightly while Katniss walked delicately, as if in the woods.

"Did you have work at the bakery today?" Katniss asked softly, and Peeta grunted.

"No. Dad decided I'd been working too much lately. I haven't missed work, it's fine" he assured her, and Katniss nodded.

"That's good." A tense silence fell between them as they wove their way through the seam. Neither really knew how to approach the topic of her coldness during the day, and Katniss certainly didn't know how to explain herself.

"So I hear we need buddies for a trip on Friday," Peeta commented cheerily, as though it was an exciting excursion from their everyday life. "Madge and Delly are already paired off, right? That leaves you and me!"

"I guess so" Katniss mumbled, shoving her hands into her pockets. She didn't really care who her partner was. She was in mind to skip the trip entirely. However the school were catching onto the amount of absent days she had, and were threatening having her put on supervision if she didn't make more of an effort; she couldn't deal with anymore stress.

"Katniss" he turned to her, exasperated, grabbing her wrist and stopping her from moving. "Come on, just talk to me. I get it, you hate the mines, and have every right to, and this trip will suck. But you can't just run off like that, it's…" he gulped "it's scary, Katniss. It makes me feel like you think you're in this alone, and you don't have to be."

"Facing it alone is safer" she replied harshly, taking her hand back firmly.

"And stupid." Peeta scoffed a little, and Katniss flushed pink with frustration. "Come on Katniss, stop pushing me away. We've been doing so much better, I thought maybe you would finally let me be someone to you."

"You are someone to me. You're Peeta." In confusion, Katniss forgot her frustration for a moment, and Peeta smiled.

"Well observed" he dryly commented, and Katniss stifled a smirk. "We'll be partners on Friday. Let me look after you. This one time, for this one occasion, rely on me to get you through it. And I will. Everyone needs to be looked after sometimes, even you. And you've not been looked after in far too long." Reaching forward, Peeta swept a loose hair around Katniss' ear, and let his hand linger by her ear, with his fingers brushing gently at her cheek.

"Why me? And why you?" Unable to help the jitter of fear in the bottom of her stomach, Katniss broke eye contact, choosing instead to stare at the floor. Peeta almost laughed.

"You know why by now" he murmured, and heat rushed to every pore on Peeta's face as Katniss began to toy with her braid nervously. "Surely." Her eyes met his, and eventually, she allowed herself to submit.

"I just get so scared, thinking of how alone and, and how dark it must have been" Katniss' voice was at a heavy whisper, and Peeta let his other hand rise, to cup her face. "And it's awful but I'll end up down there, to provide for Prim. And then… if that happens to me, who will keep Prim safe?"

"You don't have to worry about any of that" Peeta murmured, embracing her tightly, letting her head fall on his shoulder. "Because it won't happen."

"I'll take your word for it" Katniss falsely conceded, before letting herself rest momentarily, leaning onto him.

* * *

Later, when the sun had mostly set, Katniss and Prim were laid out in their bedroom while they listened to the muffled sounds of the games from downstairs. Their mother seemed weirdly fascinated this year. Idly, they picked at their homework, answering questions between odd bits of conversation that they plucked from the air – they had never run out of things to say to one another.

"Rory and I went to the woods yesterday" Prim mentioned shyly. Pausing from her history assignment, Katniss glanced up, a questioning arch to her eyebrow. "It was nice. He helped me pick out some herbs for Mom, and we got some wildflowers too, to give to Posy. She really liked them. And he showed me his snares. They were empty, but he changed them a little, trying to improve on them and stuff. I don't really get it but… yeah, it looked okay I guess."

"So you really like him, huh little duck?" Katniss found herself smiling a little, glad to see her sister looking so bashfully happy. While talking about him, Prim's eyes had noticeably glassed over, as though every detail she remembered was magnified in her mind's eye, a pink flush raising to her cheeks. "Was he respectful?"

"Of course!" Prim was suddenly so alive, so defensive and adamant, that Katniss couldn't help but grin.

"Then good. I'm a fan of Rory. Carry on." Instead of the conversation ending, Prim took this to mean permission had been granted for her to ramble on about 'Rory said this' and 'he was so funny', and as much as Katniss loved Prim, she soon dropped out of the conversation into her own mind and thoughts. In correlation with Rory and Prim's escape to the woods, Katniss couldn't help but remember her own journey out with Peeta that Saturday. It felt so close, yet so achingly far.

"And… well…. Katniss? Are you listening?" As though waking with a jolt, Katniss snapped to attention, to see her sister giggling, poking at her outstretched arm. "Were you daydreaming about a certain baker?"

"Shut it, Prim" was the curt reply, but Prim merely laughed further.

"So when are you going to stop pushing, and let yourself be happy with him? Because really…" her face softened to a warm smile "you want to be with him. And he'd be good to you."

"… Annoyingly, I think you might be right." Giving her sister a final sort of grimace, Prim knew the conversation was then over, so returned to her grammar homework.

-break

Classes the next day were hell, Katniss soon found. It was Thursday, Delly and Madge were still being uncharacteristically friendly, sitting in front of them with comfortable conversation and ease that Katniss could only feel immeasurable envy for as she sat quietly by Peeta, trying so desperately to both resist and act upon these insane urges to reach across and take his hand, but they conflicted too much and she was beginning to feel lightheaded. Since her conversation with Prim the evening before, she was becoming painfully aware of exactly what she wanted from her relationship with Peeta and it was just that – a _relationship_. The thought alone was making her morals shudder in protest, but they were always swiftly quietened whenever he exhaled in exasperation over some maths problem he wasn't getting. She'd always been quite good with numbers, so eventually she scribbled the answer he was searching for at the top of his page, and he mumbled a shy, abashed thanks that warmed Katniss' toes a little.

Without exception, very waking thought that day had been her conflict over Peeta, which was swiftly becoming a biased battle. Relationships. Why on earth would she want one? They're restricting and difficult and lead to dependence and having a single being to answer to. It went against every fibre of her being, and yet there was something so deeply gripping about this male that he was fast becoming one of the only things she cared about. She wasn't used to this. Usually, the only things that mattered were Prim and Gale. And now this…. Merchant, just strolled past and caught all of her free thinking.

Peeta flashed her a quick smile just as she started feeling a little low about it all, his hand slipping under the table and grazing her knee, making her jerk in surprise. Laughing under his breath, his fingers found hers and laced them together. A momentary tremble caused a concerned glance, and now all Katniss wanted was to dive under a rock and just forget about the world for a few days. It was driving her slowly insane.

Quietly, she tried to focus on her work. But now that Peeta had her right hand, she had to use her left to do her work, and the numbers on the page were swimming as she realised how warm and rough his fingers were. Working in the bakery must have caused callouses to form on his finger pads, not unlike hers from her father's bow.

"Katniss? Period's over?" Peeta laughed, freeing his hand to wave it jovially in front of her, and she snapped awake with a flush. "You completely zoned out, didn't you?"

"I guess" Katniss murmured, not sure what she wanted to say to him, before gathering her belongings and following him to the cubbies. She was just having a weird day. That was all. Peeta didn't take her hand again, and she didn't press it. They weren't a couple, and yet they were always acting so… linked. It relieved her a little to have a lessening in pressure for a while. And as much as Katniss didn't mind people talking about her – she was fairly indifferent to the rest of the people in the district, and held only apathy for them all – she knew Peeta had many female admirers, and didn't want to set off any rumours that could be based on nothing if she were to back out. They ambled towards the lunch hall, spying Rory and Prim just leaving as they arrived and giving amicable waves, Delly and Madge chatting endlessly again. Katniss frowned. Shouldn't conversation be something she and Peeta had? Was that required of her? She glanced at him, and he seemed content, his shoulders were back and his head high. Allowing herself to smile briefly, she decided she liked their silence more. It wasn't like she had anything to say, and neither did he.

"So why've you been so out of it today? You seem distracted" he asked in a low murmur as they reached their table, and she afforded him another smile. Smiles were coming more and more naturally to her. Instead of responding, she gave him a deft shake of the head, dismissing the claim, and he shrugged with a lopsided grin, nudging her foot with his own.

* * *

The heat was getting to be too much, and Orchid felt stifled by sweat across her body and constricting clothes. Waking up was proving to be an uncomfortable existence, and as her vision focused, and memory began seeping back to her, she entered a blind panic.

"Talon?" She called out weakly, scrambling to her feet. Her arms were still red. Her clothes were still red. "Talon!"

"Orch, relax, I'm out here!" It was as though morphling had been injected into her bloodstream. Immediately calmed, she left the rock structure that had given her shelter, to find Talon sat cross legged, whittling away at spears. Sharper. "I don't know what you got up to out there, but you're drenched in blood. Sounds like a story."

"Maybe another day" she replied stiffly, before pulling her jacket off as quickly as she could, unlacing her shoes. "How cold is the river?"

"I would use the word icy" Talon replied dryly, smiling across at her. "If you want to wash, I'd do it fast if I were you." By now, she was already mostly undressed, left only in her practical white undergarments. Talon flushed a little, but focused on his spears as he left her to wash. The water was disgustingly cold, but Orchid didn't care. She dipped herself under the noisy river as much as she could bare, scrubbing at her arms and cleaning out her sinuses. Red streams flowed away from her, trickling down the river with the rest of the rivers debris.

"Pass me my clothes? I need to get the blood out of them" Orchid had to shout over the river, but Talon frowned.

"You need to have something warm to wear when you get out. Can't you deal with the blood stains for a while?" He had always been somewhat paternal of Orchid – she was quite naïve and childlike, and often he felt he needed to look after her. But she never seemed to mind, often laughing off friend's comments that he mothered for her too much, always seeming to find comfort in it.

"No. No, I want all the blood out, now." Giving Talon a stern glance, Orchid thrust her bare arm towards him forcefully. Talon frowned, as though wavering, before sighing. Deftly, he used the spear he was whittling to reach across and scoop up her over clothes and then pass them across without having to stand, and she took them quickly, visibly shivering. Nothing Orchid did could really rinse out the blood stains, but at the very least the dry flakes of blood washed off, and the scent was replaced with a damp, mouldy scent that Orchid decided she could live with. Once she deemed them as clean as she could get them without catching cold. After passing them to Talon, who began to lay them out on some rocks, where the sun hit nicely, she went about washing her hair, removing it from it's braided bun and rinsing out the mud and blood she could without a comb.

"That's enough Orchid, you really should get out before you freeze…" Talon reminded her softy, and with a grimace, she ignored him, washing over her skin once more.

"I just… I need this" she replied meakly, and Talon quietened. "I need to wash this off."

"It's okay if you killed someone Orchid" he murmured, approaching her cautiously and offering her a hand out of the river. "It's okay. It doesn't make you a bad person, not in here."

"I know" Orchid replied stiffly. "I just don't want to walk around covered in blood anymore. I think that's understandable."

"It is, but I can't see any more blood on you, and this is getting impractical. Getting ill in here is a bad idea, and the nights can get pretty cold" he continued to reason, and she wavered. "When you win, and get out of here, you can have all the bubble baths you want."

"I'm not going to win Talon. We're talked about this." Orchid sighed, but pulled herself out of the river. Immediately, she felt even colder than she had in the water, cool air hitting her puckered skin like knifes. Within moments, Talon had thrown his shirt off, pulling it over her head, and tugged her forward to wrap in a warm embrace, giving off some body heat to keep her warm. Her shivering didn't subside straight away, but eventually they returned to the cave in order to give the clothes time to dry.

"So what happened while we were apart? Why were you with the careers?" Talon asked conversationally, sitting with his back to the cave wall while Orchid retied her bun. She shrugged noncommittally before settling between his legs, and pulling the jacket from the floor and over the pair of them.

"I got cornered by this kid, don't remember who. Just that he was male. Kicked him in the groin and he went down, took his knife and lodged it in his chest" Orchid recounted robotically. "Blood was everywhere. Wondered around for a while. Bumped into Glimmer, got taken hostage. Got used to track you, found you, here I am." Sighing, Orchid buried herself into Talon's chest. "I'd rather not dwell."

"Understandable" Talon replied softly, kissing her temple. "Well, it won't happen again. I've had it fairly uneventful compared to you. I've just been mapping the place in my head. Killed the District 1 boy, but you know that."

"Mmm" she hummed, and laid her head on his shoulder. "I want to go home, Tal."

"Me too Orch" Talon murmured sadly. "I'll get you home soon."

Orchid was too tired to argue.


	10. The Mines

**Hello! Slightly-less-awful-but-still-awful-update. Gahh. Your patience and kind words are so so so appreciated.**

**One thing to address, anonymous reviewer hgfan-  
I have a plan for that. Ooooh spoilers... It all ties in in the third instalment, and has a lot to do with Madge. But shhh I didn't tell anyone...**

* * *

**The Trilogy: Testament  
Part one; A Spark.  
****Chapter ten; The Mines**

* * *

It was still night when Talon decided it was time to make a move for a new camp. At first, it was pitch black, and the river was their only point of navigation, but now the sky was just beginning to lighten, giving them light just enough to see, but a lot of cover from being seen. The Careers had usually given up their night-time hunt by this point, and settled down for recovery before starting again in the late morning. Leading her carefully, Talon had only his spears strapped to his back, which Orchid holding a pack with the medical supplies and meagre food stock they'd built up. Orchid's hair was wet and slicked back from her most recent wash, and it sent little droplets of water trickling down her neck as they tracked their way along the riverside. Occasionally she would move to say something, but Talon would quickly silence her. They had been walking for hours, pausing only for water breaks and at one point, they stopped to split a little bit of mostly cooked fish. Nothing of note happened, mostly quiet hums of the wildlife around them. Occasionally, Talon made a move, as if to reach for a spear to skewer a passing animal, but thought better of it. Orchid figured he didn't want to give away their position by a potentially noisy kill.

Talon figured it was coming to the sort of time of morning where his sister and parents would rouse, and slowly build themselves to some breakfast. He audibly gulped, suddenly dry in the mouth, wondering if there was any food on their plates without him to provide it. Before he developed a dodgy knee from his work in the mines, his father once hunted alongside him, teaching him how to correctly whittle a spear so it wouldn't ruin too much of the meat. His spear was a mostly ineffective way of obtaining meat from animals, as unless you hit your target perfectly in the throat, you lost a lot of the body meat. Talon took that as a challenge to perfect his aim every time. After six years of practice, he never missed the windpipe.

Stopping abruptly had caused Orchid to bump into his back and nearly impale herself on his spears, but it was saved them ultimately. Staring upwards, birds were flying swiftly in the opposite direction to which they were walking, screeching a warning cry. Soon, Talon was sure the land based wildlife would follow.

"We have to go back" he began to say, but he was a little late. Fire erupted over the peaks of the trees, engulfing the leaf drenched branches and spreading heavy smoke like a smothering blanket. Grabbing Orchid's hand, Talon began to race in the opposite direction, following the masses of squirrels and rabbits and even occasional deer that were sprinting ahead of him. "Cover your mouth!" He screeched over the noise, releasing her hand and pulling his shirt over his mouth. Orchid hastily imitated him, keeping as quick a pace as possible. Talon was ultimately the faster and the more agile in the greenery, so Orchid simply followed his feet and tried to copy his footholds through the falling logs and the igniting ground beneath them. At one point, Talon grabbed her and pulled her entire body to the floor, narrowly missing a ball of sheer fire that flew over their heads. This was no forest fire – this was man made, manipulated by the people in the capitol, who were either drawing them into battle, or preparing to kill them within the next few minutes, toying with them as long as they felt appropriate, to entertain the audience but not let them bore of the singular event. They were the breakfast show. "Move! Faster!" Talon roared, and she nodded, trying to block out the sounds of the crackling flames behind them, trying to ignore the immeasurable heat from behind, and the terrifying possibility that if this didn't kill them, Glimmer, Clove and Cato would be at the other side of it.

The heat began to dwindle, and they began to hear shouts from the far too familiar tributes. Orchid hissed in frustration, Talon then tugging her to one side, trying to push her upwards in a tree, convince her to climb. She really tried, grabbing at branches and trying to heave herself up. But there weren't any sturdy footholds, no branches tough enough to hold her weight and awkward height, so she kept falling back down into Talon, who sighed and prepared his spears, providing Orchid with a knife.

"Look who it is!" Cato roared with laughter, Clove soon hollering in a gleeful response. They were coming from all angles it seemed, nowhere to run, they could only stand and fight.

"I love you," Talon quickly hissed. Orchid swallowed, before quickly replying.

"I love you too."

"Saying your last goodbyes?" Glimmer was practically purring as she meted out from the smoke. It was still heavy around them, but thin enough to breathe and see.

"Glimmer, is this really what you want to do?" Orchid began to plead, the knife in her hand becoming slick with sweat. "Think about the public reaction to us this year. About Talon's training score. The sponsors we have must be ridiculous compared to most years, think about how well we would do in a team – the two of us joining your three. We'd be unstoppable. Now is the wrong time to kill us.."

"She's smooth, I'll give her that" Clove snorted, joining Glimmer. The four had them surrounded around the base of the tree, tauntingly. "But no, honey. We won't fall for your bullshit twice."

"I forgot how she looked without all that blood caked to her" Cato snickered. "An actual human being underneath that cannibal."

"Don't even look at her" Talon snarled, tapping Cato's chest with his spear.

"Oooh, we've got a little fighter here Clove!" Caro's face was electric at the possibility of a good brawl, and reached forward to cup Talon's face. "Don't worry buddy, I'm not interested in your little slu- Fuck!"

Somehow, from somewhere above them, a nest had fallen. A nest, full of tracker jackers. Recognising them instantly, Talon lifted Orchiud and sprinted, avoiding the worst of the stings, allowing the majority to hit the careers. In their escape, Clove threw some knifes – they thought it was knifes, and one became lodged in Orchid right shoulder. She howled in pain, screeching as they stumbled through the forests, the colours moving and the shapes shaking. Eventually they fall together, rolling down grassy downward slopes, and landing at the bottom of a hill, flat out unconscious, out in the open.

* * *

"Bad resting spot" Evelyn commented gravely as it became apparent they weren't going to move. Katniss was just clearing the cracked bowls of grain and goats milk they'd had for breakfast away to the side, for Prim to wash as part of her chores after school that day. She was glad that Prim had gone upstairs to dress, she'd missed most of the action and would be a little more protected from it; but she would still hear about it at school.

"Rue's a bit of a dark horse, dropping nests on people like that" Katniss replied lightly, undoing and then retying her braid anxiously. "That's her there now. In the trees above them. Think she'll finish them off?"

The two watched in silence as Rue flew down the tree, her arms full of little leafs that gave Evelyn a start. They watched as she chewed them sloppily, before carefully removing stings from Orchid's neck and arms, replacing them with this green goo, and repeating the same for Talon's cheek and collarbone. She then removed the knife from Orchid's wound, dressing it with some of the disinfectant and bandages from a medical kit in the bag Orchid had been carrying.

"Not perfect treatment, but it'll do the job" Evelyn murmured. Rue then carefully dragged them to a slightly more concealed area, filled with thick grass and bushes that they could be covered by, before settling herself down in a tree up above them, a little slingshot in her pocket, armed with the tracker jacker stings she'd taken from their bodies, pressed into little pieces of bark that made them easier to shoot. "Clever. Tracker Jacker stings usually have a lot of venom left after they have had the initial sting. I hear they use them to make certain hallucinogenic drugs in the capitol."

"See – dark horse" Katniss responded, watching as Prim pottered down the stairs. "I've got to get going, the class will be at the mines soon." Expecting her mother's silence, Katniss merely kissed a somewhat anxious Prim's forehead – it would be the following week for Prim's year group to visit the undergrounds – and headed through the door, her father's jacket slung snugly over her shoulders, despite the warm summer air. It was often quite stuffy and heavy aired in the mines too, but Katniss didn't care too much. She was more concerned with the comfort and the sanity it provided. Plus, it always smelt like the woods, no matter how long it had been since she had visited.

The walk to the mines was a much shorter journey than it was to the school, located snugly in the middle of the seam. It was a large elevator system, with four little box like structures, none very well maintained, constantly shifting workers up and down at all hours as they fulfilled various shifts. It wasn't a short journey down either. Due to people from thousands of years ago mining here so long ago, the miners had to dig so deep to get to the coal reserves. It took a solid quarter of an hour of pure plummeting into the abyss to reach the workstations. There were some separate lift systems which lifted the coal from the workers below, into a large storage area, where coal was kept until it was transported to the Capitol. District 12 then purchased its small allowance of coal back from the Capitol.

As Katniss approached, she was both annoyed and pleased to see others had already arrived. Delly and Madge were stood whispering, arm in arm, and smiled somewhat reassuringly at her as she approached. Katniss presumed Madge had filled Delly in on her hatred of the mines already. Peeta was nowhere to be seen, but he was a stickler for being a little late on mining day.

"Hey Katniss," Madge greeted softly but warmly. Katniss twitched the left side of her lip upward in a stoic recognition, before standing by them with her arms thinly crossed, leaning on one leg awkwardly.

"Good morning!" Delly chirped brightly, giving a beaming smile that only frustrated Katniss. Knowing it was with the best of intentions, she refrained from scowling. Silence was kept after this, despite the bustle of the class around them, most apprehensive and unsure. No matter how many times they had visited the mines before, or how many of their parents worked there, there was always a certain degree of trepidation when it came to the mines. Today could be the day of an accident. They were random and without warning. Who could tell?

Before Katniss could dwell on it too much, an arm appeared jovially over her shoulder. Shrugging it off with a slight smirk, she sent Peeta a mildly frustrated look, masking a fondness she knew he would see in the gesture. He smiled.

"Hey Kat." The quiet warmth to his voice was instantly reassuring, but it wasn't something she would admit freely. "Delly, Madge. How's it going?"

"Oh you know," Madge aired lightly. "Same old." With an anxious look passed between them, Madge and Delly stood either side of Peeta and Katniss. Delly started blathering to Peeta how she felt bad about them not spending as much time together lately, and Madge merely squeezed Katniss' hand sweetly. "When you're not busy hunting or whatever this week, you should come over" Madge murmured gently. "I would quite like your advice."

"Oh, sure I guess" Katniss replied unsurely. She had never spent time outside of school with anyone who wasn't Prim, Peeta or the Hawthorns, but it didn't seem an unnatural thing to do. Deciding she would stop off with some strawberries, she'd found a late blooming batch further south, they arranged to meet on the following Tuesday.

"Guys, we're headed in" Delly announced, linking her arm through Delly's, who's eyebrow twitched discreetly at Katniss. Blankly, Katniss blinked.

"Let's go Kat," Peeta smilled, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. With a warning glance to him to tone down on the protective whatever – it felt a little bit like pity and Katniss hated that – she followed him mutely, headed towards one of the elevators. Slowly the class long queue disappeared, Delly and Madge shooting down the tunnels opposite theirs. Then, the ground disappeared under their feet. Air became hot and thick. All they could smell was earth and machines. No longer thinking about pride, Katniss grabbed Peeta's hand tightly, like a vice. He rubbed her fingers between his, humming lowly to himself. It was distracting, and while nowhere near as melodic, reminded her of her father singing brightly in the forests when she was sad.

The day passed by excruciatingly slowly. They were taken on a tour of the more shallow areas in the tunnelling systems, which spread deep under the forests as they dug diagonally, away from the district, getting deeper and deeper and deeper. Keeping her eyes open for Gale, Katniss tried to ignore the way that the tour guide directed all of his lectures and brief explanations towards the seam coloured attendants. At one point, he asked one boy if he had any relatives down in the depths. His name was Harry Dunkley, and coolly, Harry told the man that his mother was busy working under the major. Flustered, the tour continued. Whenever new facts came to light, or gas pockets and explosions and cave ins were mentioned, Katniss felt a pressure appear on her shoulder. Peeta was not holding her hand, nor making an open display of affection, but rather just leaning on her as though he was tired. As weighty as he was, it was reassuring in a weird way. It was the physical presence, the musky smell of the merchant soaps and flour, and the radiating body heat that kept Katniss tethered to her sanity.

A break was taken for lunch, in the same room as the miners took occasional rests in, in order to eat if they had any food, or as a base to go to to report any incidents. Peeta and Katniss were quietly squabbling over whether or not Peeta was allowed to gift her with one of his cheese buns, and quietly coming to an agreement she would trade some of her rabbit stew for it, when Katniss looked up and for a moment, feared she might faint.

"Boss! We got an injury here!" A very rumbly, deep voice called; one of the older workers. Gale then limped in, supported on either side by skinny, short men. Seam kids never grew into large adults, really. It was rare. There was red everywhere, in a stream along the floor, on the jumpsuits of the three men, even a little on their faces – but most predominantly on Gale's left calf.

"Gale!" Katniss thoughtlessly exclaimed, turning to stand. Her hunting partner looked up with a grimace, and shook his head warningly. She stayed seated, Peeta's grip on her hand so tight his knuckles were paling as fast as Gale's face.

"Hey Catnip" Gale murmured softly.

"He can't work anymore today chief, he needs to get that seen to" the same voice continued – the man on Gale's right flank. "Let him go get rest, start again on Monday."

"We don't have the staff for that" the man who had been giving the tour replied quietly, obviously trying to keep this away from the attention of Katniss' classmates.

"But he's hurt!" Katniss cried, shaking Peeta's hand away and rushing to Gale, gribbing his wrist and turning to face the boss with a disgusted glare. "How can you expect him to work like this without at least some medical treatment? He'll pass out from blood loss soon! My mother is a healer, let me take him to her!"

"Catnip, calm down, let me deal with this" Gale tried to quieten her, and she scowled at him.

"No. I'm not going to let him order you around like you're worthless."

"I'm a seam rat, stuck in the mines, of course I'm worthless Katniss!" Gale spat, and she turned to face him, shuddering from shock. He never used her name like that. He never bowed down to anything that told him he was less than someone else. She bit her lip, hard, and tried to be calm, but she couldn't – her hands were shaking too hard, it always gave her away. "… Catnip, go sit down with baker boy over there. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"You're a dick sometimes Gale." Katniss replied through her teeth, overwhelmed by hurt. Scuttling away a little, she let the miners discuss terms. In the end, Gale was handed a few bandages and given half an hours rest time to fix himself up before finishing his shift today. It was down to a healer's decision whether or not he was fit enough to work tomorrow. Katniss sat next to Peeta wordlessly, picking at her cheese bun. Gale had never spoken to her like that before. His anger was always directed at the capitol, at the merchants, at everyone who had and did not deserve, at the people who meant his little baby sister went to bed without enough in her stomach so often. Never had she ever called himself worthless. Or implied that the people of the seam had no purpose other than to rot in the mines. Trying to rationalise her thoughts, she tried to remember how tired and how frustrated he was, and how much pain he must be in from whatever happened to his leg. She tried to tell herself he didn't mean it, he was just…. Overworked.

"Catnip," Gale lowered himself next to her, wincing. He had hobbled across to her corner of the room, Peeta taking a hint from Gale's pained glare to shuffle away. Indeed, Peeta left them, and sat with Madge and Delly a little way away, close enough to be sure he could hear the tone of their conversation, and whether or not to break in. Gale found himself appreciative of this, somehow. "Catnip, look at me."

"Why should I, Gale? I'm the daughter or a seam rat, who was stuck here, worthless enough that no one went to find him when the mines blew up" she murmured, taking the bandage from his hand and finding the wound on his leg. She knelt over it, examining it. "Do you have a water bottle?"

"About the only thing they let us have around here is water." He passed her a bottle. "That's not what I meant Catnip, you know I don't. Your father was a great man, as was mine."

"Then why say that?" Her eyes didn't move from his leg, as she slowly tried to remove the fabric that had been plastered into it from around his trousers. "How did this happen?"

"Sharp machinery around here. Caught my leg. I think it cut kinda deep too, painful as sin" Gale replied in a low mutter. "I just feel helpless around here. I shouldn't be here. I should be out in the woods… I should be with you."

"This will sting" Katniss looked to him momentarily, before pouring the water over the wound and clearing out most of the dirt and blood that had started to dry. She then threaded the bandage through the tattered remains of his trouser leg, and bound the wound tightly. "This won't hold for too long."

"I'll come see your mother at the end of my shift" he assured her, giving her a weak smile. "So you're really sticking with bread boy, huh?"

"Let's not talk about that. Drink a little water, you look so pale" she urged, pressing the bottle to his lips. He sipped at it, slowly, thinking. "You shouldn't be with me, Gale. We'd kill each other."

"Perhaps." Gale almost laughed. "It would be a happy death."

"You're such a sob story. Grow some balls, would you? I need my hunting partner in top form for Sunday" she smiled, tapping his cheek. She left a red, bloody imprint on his face.

"Right-o" he grunted, pulling himself upright. "This is going to suck. I'm working till seven."

"I'll meet you at the entrance then, help you back to mine" she offered, but he shook his head.

"No, I'll be fine. I can walk on it now it's all bound up" Gale shrugged. "Thanks, Catnip. I'll see you this evening for supper."

"I'll make something nice" Katniss replied flatly. Shuffling away, he laughed lightly, entertaining the fantasy that Katniss would meet him at home for supper every night. He limped away, swiping the back of his hand across his face in an attempt to remove the blood stain from his face which Katniss had left imprinted. It only smeared.

"Kat, if you don't come eat this I swear I'm going to finish this rabbit" Peeta called, and Katniss bit the inside of her mouth.

"Just coming. Don't touch the thigh meat, it's mine."

The rest of the day passed without much incident, except for the fact Katniss was so spooked she kept a tight grip of Peeta's hand for the rest of the day, looking around like a startled animal for the machinery Gale had referred to, or even Gale himself, to reassure himself that tonight he would be in the care of his mother, to be sure he'd be okay until then, to glare at the offending machine until it crumbled under the weight of her hatred. Every second they were below ground was turning into an eternity. Time would not pass specifically because Katniss willed it to move so much. Eventually, Peeta just wrapped an arm around her shoulders and let her shake in fury in silence as he guided her around, leaving her blind to all but her fury. The tour went deeper, and deeper. The 'boss', showing them around, gestured forward and claimed they were entering the deepest part of the mines now. Katniss narrowed her eyes at the guide. He was clearly a strong man - a merchant by birth no doubt, fair and tall, with a broad build. His arms were thick with years of labour though, and his pay was rather substantial compared to the seam workers. It was clear that this was a sought after job by the merchant family younger siblings. All you did was tell the seam workers to do more, and pay them less. You were the first one evacuated should anything go wrong. No, it was an easy set up. And Katniss hated him for it.

They ventured into the deepest parts of the tunnels, where the low hum of machines not in use created them bitterly. They spluttered and spat until one of the workers kicked the sides, until they stilled a little more. It was not being used, and Katniss soon realised why when she saw the scraps of red fabric dotted about on one of the sharp, protruding blades – cutting rocks, she guessed, was its purpose. Looking at the thickness of the blade, how sharp the edge was kept, the violent manner in which the machine was – when in standby – suddenly Katniss wanted to be sick. Peeta must have also seen, because he tucked her in even tighter, if possible. Glancing at him, she noticed his lips were tightly pressed together, a bead of sweat beginning to form on his forehead. Moving her hand to cover the one of his that was against her stomach, she squeezed it. He looked at her, smiling fondly for a moment.

"Sorry," he muttered. "I just hate what this does to you."

"My emotions are my own." Katniss replied quietly, but firmly. "Let them effect me, not you."

"You still don't get it," he gave her a weak smile, before pressing his lips to her ear. "My emotions are pretty much dictated by yours."

"Well they shouldn't be" she replied unsurely, blinking up at him. "Tomorrow, I'll be fine. I'll have a whole year before I have to think about mine day, so long as Prim's goes by without much alarm. Something that goes away shouldn't bother you so much."

"But does it go away?" Peeta furrowed his eyebrows. "Katniss, you're never _really_ okay with it. What happened here has shaped your whole life. You're strong, and independent, and the most incredible provider, but you hide from people and claim that getting married and falling in love is a matter of weakness – all because of the example life set you, starting here."

"What are you saying?" Katniss scowled. She didn't like how he was analysing her. But at least – he knew she would never marry him. That was a subject she had mild concern about broaching.

"I'm saying, all this place is to me is a reminder of something that closed you off to the greatest gift life gave me. Being in love with you made me hold on to something when my mother hated me, it made me hold to what my father always wanted and couldn't have." He paused, wondering how best to phrase his words. "Loving you gave me hope."

"Hope?" Katniss was so tempted to tell him of dandelions, but quietened when she saw Gale up ahead. She tightened her grip on his hand. "He's there."

"Come on," Peeta removed his arm from around her, but took her hand in his firmly. "Go check his bandage. You're the closest thing to a healer here." Katniss wanted to correct him. _'No, I'm not a healer. Blood makes me want to hide. I hate seeing pain, I cannot deal with seeing pain, and it takes someone with a bigger heart than mine to take care of people like this. I wish Prim were here.'_ At first, Katniss thought the guide would stop her from going to Gale, but he followed her eye line and rolled his eyes, obviously indifferent. Gale turned and saw her, smiling weakly but waving her away. Pausing, Katniss frowned. He nodded, grimacing. Katniss returned to the group, frowning.

The boss spoke for a while, pointing out machinery and describing it, or explaining how complex the different methods of extracting coal were. But the most efficient is manual labour, and breaking the backs of the poor. Gale heaved a pick over his head, grunting with the effort, and Katniss reached for Peeta again. It crept up on her that Gale dying down here was one of her biggest – and most likely – fears.

"…and soon, we'll be at the end of our tour" the boss stated, smiling grittily at them all. Katniss exhaled. "But always remember, when you're tucked up in bed tonight, we'll still have men and women hammering away down here, providing valuable fuels for the capitol. It's an honourable profession, and one that many of you should consider!" It was as though Peeta could feel the colour run from Katniss' face, so he leaned into her, once more moving his mouth to her ear.

"_You will never work here."_

He said it with such conviction and anger that Katniss felt overcome with a mad desire to run with him into the woods and kiss him until he couldn't breathe. But she was too tired, too sad, and too angry. So instead, she let a moment of weakness beat her, and let her head loll against his shoulder. She heard Gale quietly grunt to himself in the dark, and felt a pang of pain as they were lead away from the workers. If only he would see.

* * *

"It was really sweet that Peeta walked you home" Prim commented airly, chewing on a danilion leaf. She and Katniss were laid in the meadow, using planks of wood they found lying near the fence to lean their scrap papers on while they worked through their homework lazily. Katniss rolled her eyes, choosing not to answer. Feeling the topic was dry, Prim tried again. "How's Madge? I don't understand why she's never come over."

"We're both busy," Katniss shrugged. "Never seen the point. She's okay though, sending a lot of time with Delly lately."

"Oh, right" Prim paused, thinking. "So the mines weren't too bad?"

"Went by in a flash" Katniss lied through her teeth. "Do your fractions."

They worked in silence for a solid ten minutes before Prim peered up at her again.

"Why are fractions a thing? Can't people stick to whole numbers?" Prim asked bitterly. Katniss laughed a rare laugh – one only Prim could draw out of her.

"Because humans have this awful habit of overcomplicating everything" she replied tauntingly, leaning over to ruffle her sister's hair. It was starting to come loose from its braids.

"Sort of like you, with Peeta…" Prim teased, raising an eyebrow. Katniss scowled. "Yeah, I went there."

"Go there again and I'll stop feeding you" Katniss threatened weakly. Prim arched an eyebrow.

"When are you just going to face the facts!" she exclaimed, huffing. Wearily, Katniss eyed her. "There's something special there! Not many people in this world click like that. When you click with someone you don't just let that walk away so easily!"

* * *

"Thank you for coming over to help with this damn grammarwork" Delly thanked meekly, and Madge smiled.

"Not a problem Del" she replied, following Delly into the modest home, tied to some kind of mercenary that Madge had stopped paying attention to. She never cared for status symbols. They moved into Delly's lounge area, where they sprawled across the floor, Madge lecturing Delly on the proper use of a semicolon.

* * *

"Just because you're so scared of someone meaning something to you and then losing them – it doesn't mean they aren't worth trying!"

* * *

"You seem quiet today son," Mr Mellark commented as Peeta kneaded dough neatly. Peeta frowned.

"Just a bit nervous about tomorrow."

* * *

"You need to let people in! What will you do if I get reaped one day?" Prim continued, causing Katniss to sit upright.

"You won't." Katniss declared firmly. "I'd volunteer."

"You might be too old by that point" Prim countered stubbornly. "Then you lose the one person you let in, and there you have it, you're just like Mom. You need to live for someone who isn't me. You need to live for you. And what you're doing now isn't living."

* * *

"Madge… Are laws on homosexuality a thing?"

"Yes Del."

* * *

"It doesn't matter the climate of life, or how scared you are it will all go wrong" Prim was beginning to wind down, but was leaving Katniss on the wake of tears. "When you love someone, you don't have a choice about it. Stop denying yourself what you feel."

"I don't know how." Katniss replied meekly. Prim crawled over and embraced her, and encouraged Katniss to cry on her shoulder for a little while, before they abandoned the idea of finishing their work, and pottered home to be there when Gale arrived.


End file.
